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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Why do people put their Xmas trees etc up now then take them down Boxing Day

414 replies

Beon · 01/11/2025 12:17

If they say that they are sick n tired of the sight of them or find it difficult to clean around them.

Don’t put the tree up early then!

OP posts:
CatHairEveryWhereNow · 01/11/2025 15:06

BeanQuisine · 01/11/2025 13:54

My tree will go up the on the eve before Christmas Eve, not a day sooner.

And will come down a week later.

Well it's goes down day before kids go back to school - so usually slightly longer than a week but it goes up Christmas eve and is a family event.

I had many odd remarks over the years about this though making out we're odd or kill joys or a few cases pure envy we can do that.

Round here Hallwoen decorations are up for weeks if not month prior - ours go up on the day/night before then come down.

I don't mind others putting theirs up earier - but the moaning well it's their choice so it it really bothered them they could easily make changes - and have said this but apparently this is considered an non option by a few and a rueful well I may do that next year by most.

LindorDoubleChoc · 01/11/2025 15:09

We are traditional about Christmas and always have been. I absolutely love the calm and peace after Christmas - all the gorgeous food and drink still to get through and time off work. I think I could only get sick of my Christmas tree if we had it for weeks, but instead we usually do 15th Dec to 6th January which is 22 days. There isn't a fibre in my being that is interested in cleaning and tidying up for the sake of it.

StripyHorse · 01/11/2025 15:14

I'm in the 'put it up late and keep it up until new year' camp. Partly because ot feels like the run up to Christmas is so busy, but also because sometimes I finish work so late before Christmas (teacher) I want to keep celebrating Christmas. It's bad enough that from Christmas day, the Christmas adverts stop and it's all holidays and January sales.

That said, I don't care what other people do. Everyone should do what works for them.

AsAliveAsYouNeedMeToBe · 01/11/2025 15:18

I'll put it up sometime next week and won't be packing them up on Boxing day, more like mid-Jan. We'll be leaving for Christmas holiday mid-Dec for a month, so I want to see my house decorated and festive too, not just the place we'll be staying. Christmas is my favourite time of the year.

Oh, and because it's my house, my business.

StripyHorse · 01/11/2025 15:19

I suppose another aspect for me though is that I am Christian so Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ. Christmas Eve is really the start of the celebration (Vigil Mass), Advent is anticipation of Christmas. The celebration does not stop on Christmas day.

Wishiwasincornwall · 01/11/2025 15:20

When I was little it was up 12 days before taken down 12 days after. That was the same as my paternal grandparents and we fiollowed suit in our household. When my mum was little at her house it went up Xmas eve and down on boxing day because my nan was born in a Catholic home for unwed mother's in Ireland and hated anything to do with Christmas because of the evil nuns. In my house we've got one up already because my 17 year old autistic son wanted it up last weekend and used my mums terminal illness as an excuse "just in case she doesn't make it".

Parker231 · 01/11/2025 15:21

StripyHorse · 01/11/2025 15:19

I suppose another aspect for me though is that I am Christian so Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ. Christmas Eve is really the start of the celebration (Vigil Mass), Advent is anticipation of Christmas. The celebration does not stop on Christmas day.

But do you accept that for others the celebration period is leading up to Christmas Day and not after?

Flyingintotheunknown · 01/11/2025 15:21

Each to their own I suppose. They can do it whenever they like. But that doesn’t mean I agree with it or do it myself

Personally I do find it slightly irritating when people post on facebook after they’ve put their tree up the day after Halloween then post again on Boxing Day saying they’ve taken it down because they were sick of the sight of it. Then the following year they do it again. If they want to decorate their house early fair enough but why post on facebook about it then tell everyone they are sick of the sight of it by Boxing Day? It does come across as a bit pathetic and attention seeking.

I don’t think it helps with shops selling Xmas decorations at the end of August which causes people to buy decorations and trim up as soon as Halloween is over.

I do think the real meaning has been taken away from Christmas and it’s now just all very commercialised. Kids, no matter how much you try to tell them the Christmas story and how Christmas came about, don’t really care nowadays. It’s all about the presents. They want the presents and that’s it. They don’t care about Jesus or Mary and Joseph.
It felt like there was an air of magic when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s leading up to and on Christmas Day but that all seems to have gone now.

Once my kids have grown up I don’t think I’ll bother with a tree anymore. I’ll probably do the whole Xmas eve, Xmas day and Boxing Day etc but that’s about it.

NoWordForFluffy · 01/11/2025 15:22

Buscake · 01/11/2025 12:20

Because they want to

This is what I was going to post and was my first thought when I read the question! Xmas Grin

TheZanyZebra · 01/11/2025 15:23

Beon · 01/11/2025 12:17

If they say that they are sick n tired of the sight of them or find it difficult to clean around them.

Don’t put the tree up early then!

I always get rid of my tree and decorations on boxing day, even if it's only been there for 3 days, so bit of a waste, might as well put it early.

I can't understand the point of Christmas decorations after Christmas, how does that affect you?

I can't put the tree up until December though, or it will be completely dead by Christmas 😂

Parker231 · 01/11/2025 15:24

Flyingintotheunknown · 01/11/2025 15:21

Each to their own I suppose. They can do it whenever they like. But that doesn’t mean I agree with it or do it myself

Personally I do find it slightly irritating when people post on facebook after they’ve put their tree up the day after Halloween then post again on Boxing Day saying they’ve taken it down because they were sick of the sight of it. Then the following year they do it again. If they want to decorate their house early fair enough but why post on facebook about it then tell everyone they are sick of the sight of it by Boxing Day? It does come across as a bit pathetic and attention seeking.

I don’t think it helps with shops selling Xmas decorations at the end of August which causes people to buy decorations and trim up as soon as Halloween is over.

I do think the real meaning has been taken away from Christmas and it’s now just all very commercialised. Kids, no matter how much you try to tell them the Christmas story and how Christmas came about, don’t really care nowadays. It’s all about the presents. They want the presents and that’s it. They don’t care about Jesus or Mary and Joseph.
It felt like there was an air of magic when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s leading up to and on Christmas Day but that all seems to have gone now.

Once my kids have grown up I don’t think I’ll bother with a tree anymore. I’ll probably do the whole Xmas eve, Xmas day and Boxing Day etc but that’s about it.

Not all of us care anything about Jesus/Mary/Joseph as we are atheists.

steff13 · 01/11/2025 15:24

BlossomLeaves · 01/11/2025 13:00

Let ‘complaining about other people doing Christmas differently to me…’ season commence Hmm

Well it's the next major holiday after "blame the US for the decline of Halloween" season.

Flyingintotheunknown · 01/11/2025 15:26

Parker231 · 01/11/2025 15:24

Not all of us care anything about Jesus/Mary/Joseph as we are atheists.

So what? I’m an atheist too?? But the whole Xmas thing came about because of a story about Jesus being born.
What’s your point? Or are you just trying to be clever for the sake of it?

Parker231 · 01/11/2025 15:28

Flyingintotheunknown · 01/11/2025 15:26

So what? I’m an atheist too?? But the whole Xmas thing came about because of a story about Jesus being born.
What’s your point? Or are you just trying to be clever for the sake of it?

Doesn’t mean you have to believe it to enjoy parties, presents, family time, lots of food and drinks. That’s what Christmas means to our family.

ChocolateCinderToffee · 01/11/2025 15:30

Parker231 · 01/11/2025 14:15

Do you not accept that some people want to take their Christmas decorations down earlier than you? Neither is right or wrong.

Where did I suggest that people can't take their decorations down when they want? I said Christmas isn't over on Boxing Day.

Why are you keen to start an argument? Go and troll someone else, dear.

Flyingintotheunknown · 01/11/2025 15:31

Parker231 · 01/11/2025 15:28

Doesn’t mean you have to believe it to enjoy parties, presents, family time, lots of food and drinks. That’s what Christmas means to our family.

And that’s not what I’ve said. I was saying that the whole meaning of Christmas has been taken away from it and now it’s all commercialised. Yet go back to the 80s and it was completely different.

Differentforgirls · 01/11/2025 15:32

I put mine up 12 days before (13th D) and take it down 12 days after (6th J). No idea why. Probably because my mum did it that way.

Flyingintotheunknown · 01/11/2025 15:32

ChocolateCinderToffee · 01/11/2025 15:30

Where did I suggest that people can't take their decorations down when they want? I said Christmas isn't over on Boxing Day.

Why are you keen to start an argument? Go and troll someone else, dear.

Same poster has just tried to start an argument with me too. Some people are just argumentative and come on MN purely to start arguments.

Parker231 · 01/11/2025 15:33

ChocolateCinderToffee · 01/11/2025 15:30

Where did I suggest that people can't take their decorations down when they want? I said Christmas isn't over on Boxing Day.

Why are you keen to start an argument? Go and troll someone else, dear.

For our family we consider the Christmas holiday over on Boxing Day - it’s back to work time for many.

Seymour5 · 01/11/2025 15:36

I grew up in Scotland, 1950s. As well as Christmas the Festive Season meant parties and get togethers over the New Year. The sparkle of a Christmas tree and decorations felt part of it. No one ever put their trees up before mid December, and they were taken down early January. That's sort of stuck with me.

Differentforgirls · 01/11/2025 15:41

TheZanyZebra · 01/11/2025 15:23

I always get rid of my tree and decorations on boxing day, even if it's only been there for 3 days, so bit of a waste, might as well put it early.

I can't understand the point of Christmas decorations after Christmas, how does that affect you?

I can't put the tree up until December though, or it will be completely dead by Christmas 😂

Poor tree.

TheZanyZebra · 01/11/2025 15:41

ChocolateCinderToffee · 01/11/2025 15:30

Where did I suggest that people can't take their decorations down when they want? I said Christmas isn't over on Boxing Day.

Why are you keen to start an argument? Go and troll someone else, dear.

of course Christmas is over on Boxing Day. That's the whole point.
Celebrate until Easter if you like, no one is stopping you, but don't tell people they must keep on with Christmas once the day has past.

FellowSuffereroftheAbsurd · 01/11/2025 15:46

I can see if people are actively complaining about something like that, which they actively chose, why people would question that and find it annoying.

I find some do that, and can be loud about it, while many others are just coming up with a reason when being asked why they do things that others view as different. I imagine some of the latter may become the former if they get fed up with being asked, others I find just avoid the topic.

I can't recall when my parents took their tree down or when it went up, though my mother did a lot of advent and Christmas traditions, largely blurring them all together. I do recall my maternal grandparents, who were very devout Christians, never put up a tree. They had a decorative tree statuette that went up on the stand the TV was in and that was it for decorations - presents were passed out from their chairs. I always thought it was because of my grandmother's disability and preferring peace/clear space - but never really thought to ask, never thought it was my business really. I loved that little statue probably the most in that time.

I do dislike cutting Hallowtide short - it doesn't end until after the evening on the 2nd of November - and would really prefer if Christmas would at least wait until at least after Remembrance Day or even better the start of Advent, but I know it makes some happy to move straight from Halloween to Christmas and as long as they don't expect of it me, more power to them.

Makemydaypunk · 01/11/2025 15:48

Personally I do find it slightly irritating when people post on facebook after they’ve put their tree up the day after Halloween then post again on Boxing Day saying they’ve taken it down because they were sick of the sight of it. Then the following year they do it again. If they want to decorate their house early fair enough but why post on facebook about it then tell everyone they are sick of the sight of it by Boxing Day? It does come across as a bit pathetic and attention seeking.

Agree, it’s the same on here every year, who can be the first to start a thread saying they have taken their decorations down by 11.59pm on Christmas Day, it’s weirdly become quite the competition on who has done it first 🥇

LittleMyLabyrinth · 01/11/2025 15:51

We put up our tree a few days before Xmas Eve (so there isn't the stress of putting it up at the last minute) and leave it up until Candlemas (yes that is 2nd February!). November is for Hallowtide, Bonfire Night, and Thanksgiving. First part of December is for Advent/Christmas preparations. Second half of December and January is for all the merry Christmas vibes, mostly in the 12 Days and then a lesser version until Old 12th Night, then it tapers off even more until Candlemas. Feel free to think we're mad but it makes January jolly and not depressing 🤷‍♀️