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Original poster

Taking down Christmas decorations

250 replies

Differentstarts · 30/12/2023 20:55

I know im being unreasonable as its none of my business what other people do but I get really annoyed at people who put Christmas decorations up in October and then take them down boxing day or like my friend Christmas day. I don't know why this annoys me but it does what happened to it being done on or at least around the 6th January. I'm just curious what others do?

OP posts:
TinkerTiger · 30/12/2023 23:07

Nothing annoys me more than people who stick to 'rules', so they refuse to put the tree up before x date and it must be down by whenever, and think everyone should do the same. Do what makes you happy.

Mine goes up mid to end of November and stays up for months. I have ADHD and the excitement of putting it up is one thing but I have absolutely no motivation to take it down.

I don't give a shit what anyone thinks and I still light it even February and March, it brings me joy

369damnshesfine · 30/12/2023 23:09

I never take them down as early as Boxing Day but they’re coming down tomorrow as I’m sick of the clutter.

I usually do it on New Year’s Day or just after.
The 6th is too late for me, I need to be clutter free before I go back to work.

Dragonsandcats · 30/12/2023 23:10

ours goes up first weekend of december and comes down as early as possible after New Years. I don’t care what others do but taking them down on christmas day seems bizarre.

Lovelylydia · 30/12/2023 23:10

Being pedantic. Twelfth night is the 5th January. Just sayin’

TinkerTiger · 30/12/2023 23:10

TeenagersAngst · 30/12/2023 21:59

I think a lot of people don't actually know about Twelfth Night so don't realise they're doing anything 'wrong'.

I do, I just don't care

DappledThings · 30/12/2023 23:14

Lovelylydia · 30/12/2023 23:10

Being pedantic. Twelfth night is the 5th January. Just sayin’

Indeed. The 6th is the first day after Christmas which is why they come down then. Unless staying up till Candelmas.

TurkeyTwizlers · 30/12/2023 23:14

I couldn’t care less what people do. But I hate people who put them up/take them down early are doing something ‘better’ than everyone else.
I know someone who decorates 1st December and then acts like everyone else are miserable grinches for not following and they’re doing it right.
Then they complain they are sick of them. Honestly I don’t think a lot people would do it without social media.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 30/12/2023 23:15

electriclight · 30/12/2023 21:32

I'll tell you what annoys me. It's people who think the whole world should take their decs down on the entirely arbitrary 6th January and feel cross with anyone who instead makes their own traditions. Focus on yourself and not what other people are doing in their homes.

6th Jan is not ‘arbitrary’.

mondaytosunday · 30/12/2023 23:16

Ours go up first weekend in December and down when kids go back to work/college which is January 3 this year. I get pretty tired of it by New Years. But totally agree why put it up so early just to take it down immediately! At least wait til New Years.

AtSomePointInLife · 30/12/2023 23:17

Put our tree up every year on 1st December. Everything down on 30th December so that I can relax for last 2 days before back to work, also the clutter annoys me. We have a real tree and the pine needles get everywhere. I do miss it being up though and a bit sad today, but at least it's out of the way.

Zonder · 30/12/2023 23:19

Up first week I'm December, down first week in January.

Definitely not before New Year because we want the decorations up for NYE. I consider that definitely still part of the Christmas season.

ActuallyChristmas · 30/12/2023 23:22

Here, the day they go up is whenever the farm deliver the tree - this year the 12th Dec. The tree gets collected for recycling near 12th night - 6th Jan. The cards and other decs stay up until the 6th. I usually take away one set of mantelpiece lights and replace them with other lights to keep some cheer.

Anonymouseposter · 30/12/2023 23:22

I’m traditional and put them up the week before Christmas and take them down for twelfth night. It’s commerce that has encouraged everything to be moved forward. I don’t get annoyed with what other people do though, that’s up to them.

hot2trotter · 30/12/2023 23:23

Mine go up 1st December and come down on Boxing Day. I love the build up but once the big day is over I want to get back to normal - a tidy and clutter free home. Feels like a massive weight has been lifted. I do have diagnosed OCD and anxiety though - and suspected ASD. Maybe that's why?? Never really thought about it.

Tulipvase · 30/12/2023 23:23

MañanaramasCat · 30/12/2023 21:57

We decorate, including putting the tree up, on Christmas Eve. We take everything down on 12th night. I realise we are probably in a minority.

This was childhood for me. That and presents after lunch. As I got older though, I did persuade my parents to put the tree up a bit earlier.

I now put the tree up around the 16th ish and will stay up till the closest, easiest day before 12th night.

OnceUponATimeInChristmasTime · 30/12/2023 23:25

Our decorations start to go up the last weekend in November and everything other than the tree (real tree) is down now. The tree will stay up until New Year's Day. We've done this the last few years because we've all gone back to work/school straight after new years and so wouldn't have chance to get everything down until well after the 6th otherwise and it's stuck now.

Runnynoses · 30/12/2023 23:25

Take everything down on 12th night because that’s the law.

Starlightstarbright2 · 30/12/2023 23:27

I went back to work 27th. I used to like mine down as soon after Christmas as I could when I worked from home. Been busy working through December so still enjoying them . They will come down around the 12th night simply becuase I am working till then.

I have no concerns how other people do it. Its the build up to Christmas that is exciting. Its done now.

RaginaPhalange · 30/12/2023 23:30

I put mine up start of December and they were taken down on the 27th. I take them down before I go back to work, also it was too much having the tree up plus all the new things my kids got all in the one space.

Notsurehwhattdo · 30/12/2023 23:30

Used to be up 8th December, but now we have young children it's the first Saturday of December, so 2nd this year.

Christmas feels over at this stage, so we'll be putting them all away on New Year's Day... It's new year, not Christmas anymore. Used to be the traditional 6th January, but we like to clear the clutter etc. before then now.

HardHeartedHarbingerofHaggis · 30/12/2023 23:30

Ours will come down next weekend, went up 2nd weekend of Dec. I used to take them down earlier before nye but bow that I've cut down what I put up I'm happy to keep it out longer.

Stopandlook · 30/12/2023 23:32

Traditionalist here - I also feel a bit (irrationally) annoyed at the loss of tradition and people announcing that ‘tree is down’ on Boxing Day

89redballoons · 30/12/2023 23:32

Up after DS1's birthday in early December, down on twelfth night. I'm off work until 8 January this year and I normally try to take the first week of January off, so having the decorations up doesn't bother me in that sense because it is still Christmas to me.

I think the reason people get upset about other people doing things differently is that Christmas is really the one time when a majority of people in this country all celebrate at the same time. The communal aspect of Christmas is partly what makes it special, and obviously if people have different ideas about when the celebration actually is, it detracts from that.

sagalooshoe · 30/12/2023 23:32

I take a few decorations down each day from New Years Eve, quite a few down on New Years Day. All down by about 4th Jan.

I can't take then down all at once as it suddenly looks so bare (and also a big chore all in one go)

Notsurehwhattdo · 30/12/2023 23:33

All the people that stick to the 6th January and have a problem with people that don't, do tell me, are you even religious, believe in God, in Jesus, go to church? Yeah, thought not.