To say "Fuck it. I'm leaving them up"?

[MistyGreenAndBlue]

The Christmas decorations I mean.

I'm just sitting here looking at them and thinking about how it's almost 12th Night, New Year is over etc. etc. and it's nearly time to take everything down and I realise I can't actually be arsed.
They aren't actually in my way. They look pretty and cheery. The weather is foul and everyone is ill and/or miserable. Why not just leave them until next month - or until it snows?
(So I can get some proper festive pics of my outdoor lights 😂)

Its such a bland miserable time of year. I want my pretty winter lights and sparkles up a bit longer.

Candlemas anyone?

I really think I'm gonna do it. Who's with me? Let's keep the festive cheer going 🎄

It took bloomin ages to put them up, down in 20mins today, and all the furniture back in the right place and more space. Lovely.

I'd say, just the birds. Then when it's Easter you can add eggs.

Our deccies are gone, good riddance! I am the Grinch🤣

I do like lights though so might buy some fairy lights to put up. I know what dh’s reaction will be though🤪🫣 He’s a bit more minimalist than me!

I have several sets of battery-operated candles for this very purpose, it really helps with the 'bare' feeling when it all comes down.

Candlemas, end of January. Mine arnt going anywhere

It really does, doesn’t it? I’m a convert from last year. Seems to help with SAD too so that’s a bonus!

I bought some lovely ones from Lights4fun last year to replace the icicle lights in the conservatory.

Mine stay until the weekend then everything comes down

I'm keeping mine up til Candlemas. I started doing this during Covid when the schools shut Jan - Mar in 2021 and life was bloody miserable. A bit of twinkly cheer through January really helped.

I'm probably going to do it forever now.

Thank you @WickedSerious I'll take a look 😊

My MIL (never one to be afraid of a bit of clutter!) keeps a selection of Xmas decs up all year round. Not the main tree but she has a selection of small wooden trees and some of them stay up, plus festive cushions, fairy lights, various Santa/reindeer based ornaments, etc. By the time it gets to March or April you just accept it as part of the decor in her house. Each to their own!

Thanks for giving me permission to keep my fairy light net up until at least Easter!

I love it and was feeling quite miserable about taking it dow.

its on the constant setting not flashing or fade...so hopefully won't annoy the village!

Each to their own of course, but I find the sight of outdoor Christmas lights, or other Christmas decorations in the house, really, really depressing after the first week in January. There’s something bleak about it for me, like when you see racks of festive party wear and sequins looking all sad and limp in the January sales. But I’m all for people doing whatever makes them happy and if that means leaving your decs up, then YANBU to go for it!

What I do like in winter is the decor trend of plain fairy lights indoors, not as a festive thing but just as a cosy lighting option. I used to have them in my bedroom in my old house and I loved them. And candles in winter are gorgeous. I also like having winter flowers with lots of nice evergreen foliage and/or pine cones and things.

Agree with your first paragraph- Christmas decs well into new year seem….sad. It’s over.

Sorry can’t bear fairy lights to me they are “student house” sorry.

Also going on about “Candlemas” is somehow incredibly annoying. I only ever see it mentioned on here annually as an excuse not to take down your decorations. It is just not a “thing”. No one in real
life has ever heard of it. There are lots of old festivals that have fallen by the wayside and that is one!

No one's forcing anyone to celebrate or keep decorations up any later than they want to, but traditionally Christmas is 'over' after twelfth night. This is what a lot of us grew up with.

Also, you're wrong about no one outside MN having heard of Candlemas.

Go for ot! It's no weirder than the people who put them up in November!

@Catza have you tried asking him to change the setting to turn off earlier?

I usually leave mine up until at least Feb, I've been known to hit March 🤷 It's only my tree, but I love it.

This year we redecorated the living room and I have too many units so I'll need to take the tree down much sooner for the space, I am gutted.

Who cares if you leave it up? It's your house, you pay for it, do whatever makes you happy 🎄

@FestiveFruitloop

you said it more politely than I was managing, so I'll second your post!!

@MistyGreenAndBlue I hate taking mine down (partly because the lights are pretty, & partly because it's such a boring job, last year I was going to leave them
up for candlemas, then I decided my birthday (mid feb) ... in the end it was the Easter decorations & twinkly pastel lights that drove Christmas into remission.

do what YOU want

Nah mine are coming down this week. Soon be £1 daffs to brighten the place up

There's some string lights in the rexlondon sale. About 3-4 pounds I believe (Down from about £14-15.)?

Oh no I always put mine up last weekend of Nov as we are normally away first week of Dec🫣 I must be weird!

@TheaBrandt

Also going on about “Candlemas” is somehow incredibly annoying. I only ever see it mentioned on here annually as an excuse not to take down your decorations. It is just not a “thing”. No one in real
life has ever heard of it. There are lots of old festivals that have fallen by the wayside and that is one!

Christmas is from December 25th to February 2nd (Candlemas) in the Church. It doesn't stop on Jan 6th (Epiphany) or on Boxing Day (Mumsnet preference).

You possibly need something to stop you being incredibly annoyed about it. A few fairy lights and candles may do the trick.

I left mine up once. By Feb my mum started nagging me to take them down… so I left them up just to vex her. By May she was itching to take them down, but the later it got the funnier it was. I took great joy in teasing her and cracking jokes about it. By October it didn’t seem worth taking them down, so they stayed up for a full year!

I've been known to leave mine up til February! January is depressing, the tree looks beautiful so fuck it I say, let it stay up!

The look on peoples faces when they come to visit is priceless too 😅