Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want Christmas to be over after Boxing Day

144 replies

Butterflyfluff · 26/12/2023 16:16

Just that really.

Yes, I put my tree up early because for me, it’s the run up to Christmas I love - after Boxing Day I feel Christmas is over and want the decorations down.

I get the religious aspect of the 12 days of Christmas but that’s not for me.

Just interested in what the split is nowadays.

YANBU - Christmas is over by 26th December

YABU - Christmas starts on 25th December

OP posts:
Amana · 26/12/2023 18:20

PurpleWhirple · 26/12/2023 16:45

The run up as an adult is just endless tasks that have to be done, even if you like Christmas. Between Christmas and New Year is the best time, literally nothing needing to be done except eating, drinking, resting new books and playing with new things.

Absolutely this. We normally have family to stay who refuse to leave until 27th or 28th and it really ruins Christmas for me. I hate to feel like it's over when they leave as I feel like that's when I actually starts and I can finally relax

Me too. In fact my Boxing Day is sacred…left over food, a good book, log burner on, board games, films, walks - and continues until after NYD.

Rest, stress free, enjoying family time.

My tree didn't go up until the 24th, decorations only a few days before.

As a child I was always so sad when the 27th came and my mum went back to work. I hated it all being over.

Original poster
Butterflyfluff · 26/12/2023 18:21

MissBuffyAnneSummers · 26/12/2023 18:17

In Scotland the Festive period continues through till Hogmanay and New Year's Day. 2nd January is last lazy day and then the new year gets started properly on the 3rd.

I find it depressing reading about (some English) people taking the tree down on Boxing Day. Probably the same people who put their trees up
In November

I’m not really sure why blatantly xenophobic posts like this are necessary.

OP posts:
ChocolateCinderToffee · 26/12/2023 18:24

I love the time between Christmas and New Year because it’s peaceful and a chance for reflection and planning. Christmas itself I could do without. Always glad when Boxing Day is over and everything gets back to normal.

ActDottie · 26/12/2023 18:25

Tree is normally down some time between Boxing Day and new year’s Eve as I like to do a big clean and dust. Then start the new year feeling Christmas clutter free.

Cottagecheeseisnotcheese · 26/12/2023 18:28

my DD birthday is beginning of December so we leave Birthday cards up for a week to 10days so decorate for Christmas on the weekend somewhere between 10th-16th and leave up until New year is over normally take down the day she goes back to school but often leave some white fairy lights out and LED candles to brighten up until the nights start getting longer, so basically up for about 3 weeks or so this year went up on thursday 14th and will be down on 4th January

TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum · 26/12/2023 18:29

It seems strange to go to all the trouble and expense of celebrating Christmas / Yuletide only to stop after one (often busy/ stressful) day.
The whole point of the festival is to give yourselves and family a proper break and some treats during the coldest darkest days of the year. We're not religious but love this aspect of it.
No wonder there are so many threads on here complaining about ating the Xmas stress when people don't bother to enjoy the benefits of a proper holiday and instead just go straight back to normal on boxing day.
Oh well - each to their own I guess.

Jaboody · 26/12/2023 18:31

All taken down today. I did the deep clean today and I need all the laundry done and put away before New year's day. But that's just a little superstition of mine I follow.

Decafflatteplease · 26/12/2023 18:46

YABU. Christmas has only just started here. Tre stays up until 6th or nearest date that works for us. But also different strokes for different folks so whatever works for you!

Parker231 · 26/12/2023 18:49

ReadySalty · 26/12/2023 16:40

The absolute best bit of Christmas is 27th-2nd Jan.

The relatives have gone.
The parties are over.
You can eat and do whatever you want!

Many are back to work so Christmas is over with the commute starting again.

Parker231 · 26/12/2023 18:51

TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum · 26/12/2023 18:29

It seems strange to go to all the trouble and expense of celebrating Christmas / Yuletide only to stop after one (often busy/ stressful) day.
The whole point of the festival is to give yourselves and family a proper break and some treats during the coldest darkest days of the year. We're not religious but love this aspect of it.
No wonder there are so many threads on here complaining about ating the Xmas stress when people don't bother to enjoy the benefits of a proper holiday and instead just go straight back to normal on boxing day.
Oh well - each to their own I guess.

You’re assuming that people have the time off work between Christmas Day and NY.

margotrose · 26/12/2023 18:53

It seems strange to go to all the trouble and expense of celebrating Christmas / Yuletide only to stop after one (often busy/ stressful) day.

Most people are back at work today/tomorrow.

Fundays12 · 26/12/2023 18:57

I am in Scotland and my tree is down before New Year. A lot of my friends and neighbours are the same. New year isn't the big thing it once was. I am not sure why negative comments need made about English people.

margotrose · 26/12/2023 19:00

Our tree came down today, but DH and I are both off work until after New Year.

For me, there's something nice about taking the Christmas stuff down and having a week of peace and quiet a nice clean, tidy house before work starts back and we're both too busy and tired to enjoy it properly.

But we don't have kids and we're both pretty introverted so we don't need to worry about hosting guests or leaving things up for the sake of the DC.

NoWordForFluffy · 26/12/2023 19:05

Same here. The run up as an adult is just endless tasks that have to be done, even if you like Christmas. Between Christmas and New Year is the best time, literally nothing needing to be done except eating, drinking, resting new books and playing with new things.

I'm not sure my employer agrees about there being nothing else to do other than laze about doing nice stuff in between Christmas and New Year, seeing as we're back in work tomorrow like many, many places are.

YuleDragon · 26/12/2023 19:07

we dont put anything up until about the 18th, a week before xmas is fine, so it stays up until 4/5 jan usually

I couldn't imagine the stress of packing it all up today, this week is chill/rest week to kick back and rest, properly rest.

RaspberriesUpside · 26/12/2023 19:13

Wendysfriend · 26/12/2023 16:52

Love Christmas here and everything stays up until the 12th night. We've so many visitors and people working and not working that we have a few Christmas dinners. I'd die if the kids who were working had to miss out on the tree and decorations while having their Christmas dinner because I took them down 24 hours later. We just clean around the stuff, tbh it doesn't get that dirty, I love the decorations and absolutely despise the empty, echoing, sterile rooms after they come down.

I love the decorations and absolutely despise the empty, echoing, sterile rooms after they come down.

That sounds like an extreme reaction! Why not decorate your rooms in a way that you love all year round, so that you are not as upset when the fairy lights come down?!

RaspberriesUpside · 26/12/2023 19:14

We put the tree up around Dec 15th and take it down around Jan 4th. That’s perfect and works for us.

Beansandcheesearegood · 26/12/2023 19:25

YANBU

NahHumBrag · 26/12/2023 19:30

YABU.

I DETEST the build up. It’s an assault on the senses, a marketing hellfest and an overly emotional, mawkish build up that feels like being in a pressure cooker.

Christmas Day evening to NYD are like lancing a boil - the relief and relaxation is immense.

nokidshere · 26/12/2023 19:39

We put ours up around the 20th dec nd always take them down on New Years Day whilst watching the NYD concert from Vienna. I like to start the year with a clear house.

brawnthesheep · 26/12/2023 19:45

Christmas starts for me on xmas eve really as work & school will have stopped. I like the build up but meeting family & friends & socialising, days out eg panto etc all happen from now onwards.

MissBuffyAnneSummers · 26/12/2023 19:45

@Butterflyfluff

I do t think you know what the word xenophobic means.

brawnthesheep · 26/12/2023 19:46

I love the fact I can relax & just enjoy myself for the next week, it’s like a holiday but with all your loved ones.

ChristmasSugarplumFairy · 26/12/2023 19:47

Twixtmas (not sorry) is the time most people finally get to stop and just soak in their tree and lights etc and generally relax into things a bit. It's such a shame to let reality back in so quickly IMO.
Imagine my horror when I was innocently scrolling through FB earlier and one of those Instagram influencers was explaining she took her tree down after her kids opened their presents on Christmas Day! 😱👎

brawnthesheep · 26/12/2023 19:48

*It seems strange to go to all the trouble and expense of celebrating Christmas / Yuletide only to stop after one (often busy/ stressful) day.

Most people are back at work today/tomorrow.

Im not sure most people are back at work on boxing day but even so why does it matter? I put my tree up, shop etc in the lead up whilst im working.