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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wish my neighbours would take down their Christmas decs!

202 replies

daysoffin · 20/01/2022 12:28

Lovely display of houses

And yet 3 out of the 10 houses nearby have their Christmas decs up still!

So all 3 have their lights up still, proper Christmas ones, and then one of them, I can still see the bloody tree through the window!

AIBU to say take the bloody things down ffs?!

OP posts:
FestiveFruitloop · 20/01/2022 14:45

@Rewis

We call them winter lights and they go up in October when it gets dark and take thwm away in march-april time when it gets light. Or that's how it's been in here as long as I remember.
OMG I want to do this next time. Seriously.

I suffer from SAD and find that Christmas lights help hugely with this while they are up. These days I put them up early and take them down late. I just take the more overtly Christmassy baubles etc off the tree after Christmas and leave the rest on (things like robins and icicles) along with the lights ... feels more like a 'winter' tree then, IYSWIM.

My trees are still up and I really want to leave them up till Candlemas but am worried my cleaner will think I'm barmy. Grin They may end up staying up anyway. (Yep, I chose my username for a reason. Grin )

Chocolatehamper · 20/01/2022 14:51

@Allsorts1

YANBU! It ruins the christmassyness if they are still up! I personally love a fresh start in January and packing away the Christmas clutter and putting some fresh flowers in vases etc helps facilitate that.
When do you put your decorations up Allsorts1?
timestheyarechanging · 20/01/2022 14:51

Maybe they are Christians and observing Candlemas - if so, they'll be taken down 3 Feb. In the meantime, try to enjoy the prettiness

SleepingStandingUp · 20/01/2022 14:53

I don't think it's typical to still have it up, but
I think the unreasonable neighbour is the one peering into other people's houses and complaining they don't like what they see

MrsGinnyM · 20/01/2022 14:54

As others have said, some people keep them all up until 2 Feb, some people keep only lights up for winter cheer, some people for reasons of disability or mental health, and some people just because they want to.

YABU as it really isn't any of your business - except if they have flashing outdoor lights, which deserve to have the wires clipped with pruning shears.

MrsGinnyM · 20/01/2022 14:57

@TheOriginalEmu

Mine are still up, it makes me feel less suicidal In January. Is that ok with you?
Flowers
MrsGinnyM · 20/01/2022 14:59

@Pootle40

If I see this on a house I think 'lazy'
That's just lazy thinking. There are plenty of perfectly good explanations, as this thread demonstrates.
Luminousnose · 20/01/2022 15:03

I took my tree down middle of last week. Reasons (though it’s actually none of your business):

It was a ‘real’ tree that was grown, and cut down for me (not personally) and as it was still fresh and beautiful I felt guilty ripping it down two days after Christmas (sentimental I know).

I only put it up a few days before Christmas. I don’t really understand people who put their trees up on 1st December, but that’s up to them

It looked absolutely stunning - I’ve been collecting the decorations for more than 25 years - and I think we need a bit of sparkle in the gloomy weather we often have at this time of year. I still got a lot of pleasure from switching all the other lights off in the sitting room at night and just having the woodburner and the Christmas tree lights on.

My house feels a little less joyful since it left.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 20/01/2022 15:03

I genuinely think that, for some MNers, if they had neighbours with year-round rat-infested skips or grubby old mattresses hoaching with cockroaches on their front yard/garden that they had decided to festively 'cheer up' with pretty fairy lights, it would be the lights still being up on 7th January that would actually perturb and upset them far more than anything else!

UpToMyElbowsInDiapers · 20/01/2022 15:04

In our neighbourhood (in Canada) a lot of us have agreed to keep the lights up until COVID restrictions are lifted at the end of the months. Kids are in and out of school due to isolations, we’re all back to working from home, restaurants and gyms are closed, we have so few hours of daylight… it’s pretty bleak. Santas have come down, but lights are staying up. They’re cheerful.

Soubriquet · 20/01/2022 15:08

Yabu! It brings them joy, it’s their home and you can turn your head to look away

lioncitygirl · 20/01/2022 15:10

Why on earth does it bother you? Ever though that maybe they’ve had some circumstance where they want to keep it up for a little while longer? Like my family. Their decorations aren’t In your house are they OP? What’s the issue? Are they blasting out Christmas tunes?

WutheringHeights66 · 20/01/2022 15:11

Good grief what a bunch of lazy fecks, it would wind me up too OP but then mine came down on Boxing Day Grin

madisonbridges · 20/01/2022 15:11

I'm mot mad keen on seeing Santa and his reindeer, but I love it when people leave the fairy lights in the trees. It brightens up the miserable months of January and February

tigger1001 · 20/01/2022 15:13

@LagunaBubbles

It will never cease to amaze me how bothered some people seem to get how other people decorate their own homes and gardens. Strange.
This!

I honestly don't care about whether neighbours have decorations up or not. And would find it laughable if others worried that I did or didn't have decorations up! Spend less time worrying about things that aren't your business and you can't control op.

TheWelshposter · 20/01/2022 15:15

I would rather see twinkly lights up in January than up on 1st November.

PossiblyDreaming · 20/01/2022 15:15

Both my dm and I have decided to keep our Christmas lights up all year. They’re only white fairy lights across the balcony and we’re in a very touristy town where there’s lights round the harbour all year anyway. She’s on one side of the harbour, I’m on the other and it’s easier for my dc to pick out her house at night to wave goodnight to her with their torches. I genuinely hadn’t considered whether it might annoy the neighbours or not.

AngelinaFibres · 20/01/2022 15:18

@jimmyreckon

Traditionally they stayed up 'til Candlemas so yabu
Yep. You may have to wait until 2nd Feb.My neighbours do this. They are very religious
Goldbar · 20/01/2022 15:23

If they have a blow up Santa on the front lawn/coming out of the chimney and a neon sleigh and reindeers on the roof, I'm going to go YANBU

If it's a few fairy lights and their tree still up in the living room, YABVU.

Just stop looking in their window!!!

Santahasjoinedww · 20/01/2022 15:27

Ddog is enjoying the elongated festivities..

To wish my neighbours would take down their Christmas decs!
MrsGinnyM · 20/01/2022 15:30

wave goodnight to her with their torches
This is lovely. I think I've got something in my eye...

MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake · 20/01/2022 15:33

@Santahasjoinedww, I love him. Looks like he's still finding an excuse to have a shot of Bailey's in his morning coffee.

MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake · 20/01/2022 15:34

@PossiblyDreaming

Both my dm and I have decided to keep our Christmas lights up all year. They’re only white fairy lights across the balcony and we’re in a very touristy town where there’s lights round the harbour all year anyway. She’s on one side of the harbour, I’m on the other and it’s easier for my dc to pick out her house at night to wave goodnight to her with their torches. I genuinely hadn’t considered whether it might annoy the neighbours or not.
ah that's so lovely!
AlwaysLatte · 20/01/2022 15:38

Don't look through their window!

Lockedoorsopen · 20/01/2022 15:40

Ive still got my curtain christmas lights up across my patio doors. My kids asked me to leave them up as they look 'twinkly' at night.