To think if you can't be bothered to take your christmas lights down they don't need to be switch on?

[sushibelt]

Especially if they're those annoying flashy ones. Just stop already.

Especially when you sound like you don't actually know that it's still Christmas!

It's only still christmas for those who observe it as a Christian tradition.

But people are just replying to the OP, which is suggesting that the only reason people might still have their lights on on 4 Jan is because they can't be bothered to take them down. Maybe OP would have got the replies she wanted if she waited until Tuesday to post

I think far more people observe it as a cultural tradition rather than a Christian one.

Agree that flashy outdoor xmas lights are a PITA though I love other ones. But it’s still the Christmas period, so I’d have no expectation that they’d be down yet.

I'm not after replies that suit my narrative. Perfectly happy to be told I'm unreasonable that's why I asked here.

How do you work that one out? Is there an officially binding list of rules somewhere for people who are celebrating in a more secular/syncretistic manner?

Maybe we could have inspectors. Sorry Sue, I know you want to keep your decorations up for the full 12 days despite being an atheist cos that's what your mum always used to do and the tradition is important to you, but I'm afraid only the churchgoers are allowed.

Hang on it’s the twelve night tonight isn’t it so they come down today, some are saying tomorrow. Mine are coming down today.

Yep, that's my point! This thread, at this time, phrased in this way, was a mistake if her actual concern is flashing lights and twat neighbours. My own first post in this thread was to point out to OP that it's still Christmas.

My understanding is that the 12 days of Christmas has pagan origins. It's not a coincidence that the 12th night occurs at just about the point where the mornings stop getting darker (the shortest day is on the winter solstice, but the earliest sunset is actually around mid-December and the latest sunrise in early Jan).

So it's not simply a Christian thing. Many people mark the 12 days of Christmas in a secular way.

There's some debate about twelfth night. It depends when you start counting... It's either the 5th or 6th. I generally go for the 5th as I don't want bad luck if I chose the 6th and was wrong.

I agree.
I don't like Christmas decorations up before December.
Mine will come down on the 7th January.
In Ireland the 6th of January is known as Nollaig na mBan / Women's Christmas / Little Christmas.
In the past it was considered unlucky to take down the Christmas decorations before the 6th January.
Life has changed in Ireland obviously but it's one tradition I am holding on to.

Ours are coming down today. We were out last night, and loads of "annoying flashing" lights were still up and on. It was lovely to come home to ours flashing merrily and the lit reindeer in the garden

I'm not a christian but its still Christmas to me, I'm a Shakespearian. /s

After all…this is our house, we make the rules!!

What. I'm pissed off with the lights now. I've tolerated them thus far but am desperate for them to stop.

‘Flashing Christmas lights for me but not for thee’.

Then you'd be better saying that without making it sound like you don't understand that it's still Christmas, and that celebration in this way isn't limited to Christians.

Mine are on and flashing cos I've been laid up in bed with a chest infection since thursday. I'm in no fit state to sort the lights.
Hope noone is cursing me

In my town there’s a house absolutely covered in lights which continuously play Christmas songs. I feel so sorry for their direct neighbours that it’s still up and has been since the first week of December. I don’t think the sound has never stopped! I would be going out of my mind!

Yes, absolutely.
Cannot stand this.

@RunAwayTurnAwayRunAwayTurnAway the annoying flashing lights was quoting the OP. I love them 🎄✨️

Outside of Mumsnet most people know it's the 6th that's the most common day to take the decorations down. It's much more odd to put things up from Nov or early Dec

I can get why some neighbour decorations can be really annoying, but I do like some of the gentle lights (and the delightful giant green pentagram one of the nearby houses has, it is a highlight of my commute this winter) when I'm coming home or out early in the morning for work while it's still do dark. It's even more frustrating that you can't talk to your neighbours about it, and may need to get wider blackout curtains to deal with that.

It's only still christmas for those who observe it as a Christian tradition.

I don't celebrate Christmas at all, but know many places including schools where we're still in the 'Christmas break'.

I blame SM and bloody Americans in general for this idea that lights need to go up on November and come down on boxing day!

Social media and shops eager to move onto the next thing, yes; Americans not so much - it's fairly common in parts of the US for Christmas lights to be up all year, to the point there are country songs that use that as an identity marker (Redneck Woman instantly comes to mind for me).

My understanding is that the 12 days of Christmas has pagan origins

The origins come from a combination of Jewish traditions and early debates and traditions within the Christian churches that grew in various churches based on the dates for Christmas they established after establishing the dates for Easter based on the Jewish calendar for Passover. This was formalised in the 6th century within certain denominations, particularly in parts of Europe where Christianity was well established. The 8th day after Christmas is the Feast of Circumcision, obviously from Jewish traditions, followed by the 12 night for Epiphany as a feast day based on early church decisions around when the Magi arrived and/or when Jesus was baptised, again depending on which church branch.

The coincidence comes from many aspects of the Jewish calendar lining up with the moon, as it's a lunisolar calendar, and certain churches later making administrative choices to line up certain important dates that were set with their local solar calendars instead as they separated out from Judaism. Easter is set after the Vernal Equinox because of Passover, and the rest of the Christian calendar flows from that with different denomination adjusting their calendar to their own liturgy and the calendars they're using.

People are entitled to leave their flashy lights up over Christmas, seeing as it is still Christmas

bah Humbug