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Christmas

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Original poster

How long do you keep decorations up?

171 replies

ODFOgrinch · 02/01/2022 18:53

I'm a bit sad to see so many are taking their decorations down before 12th night, but it has made me wonder...
Are the people who decorate early the same people who get sick of the tree and take it down early?

So, how long are your tree and decorations up ? Ours went up on 17th (a week later than usual as we had COvID) and will be up until the 6th Jan, so they will have been up for 20 days.
How about your house?

OP posts:
Thatsplentyjack · 02/01/2022 21:46

I took mine down today because we are isolating and I was bored, but I was quite sad about it. Wish I kept it up for a couple more days.

ThisMustBeMyDream · 02/01/2022 21:48

He did realise the error of his ways before my sobbing however. It only occurred to him after they were already down re: visitors for Christmas, his DD spending time over the Christmas holidays etc. It was just too late when he did realise! He is fully on board to my way of thinking after the 2019 incident Blush.

Justgettingbye · 02/01/2022 21:49

News years eve

MenopauseSucks · 02/01/2022 22:08

I'll be taking mine down on Twelfth Night - I put them up on Christmas Eve.
I will leave some outside lights though until the Eve of Candlemas as it'll look nice in a shitty January.

EmmaMaya · 02/01/2022 22:38

Mine went up towards end of Nov ( always during RTE toyshow) and down today . . . Except for crib which will be out to 6th!

TheBeastReleased · 02/01/2022 22:43

Ours went up end of November.

The tree may come down next weekend (or the weekend after).

Outside lights will probably stay up until middle of February.

MajorNeville · 02/01/2022 23:04

Ours went up on 11th Dec and came down today. I used to take them down on 12th night but I hate being back at work and coming home to decorations up, it's just a real fuck you when faced with 3 months of shit weather ahead.

I think there's a big difference taking them down on the 26th and telling every one on face book to quietly taking them down on the 2nd. That said, who cares what others do, if that's what they want to do in their own homes and it makes them happy, then so be it.

MrsMorningStarOfBethleh · 02/01/2022 23:10

Normally goes up first weekend of December and down on the 2nd January. This year it went up on the last Sunday of November. I've taken all Christmas things down (ornaments etc) and the Christmas plates/mugs etc are away but the tree won't be down until Tuesday when the kids go back as my little one will just create mayhem if I try whilst she is about 😂

Original poster
ODFOgrinch · 02/01/2022 23:17

@TwinkleTwinkleLittleStarFightr

Can I tack on a question …

I have seen more and more 12 days calendars in recent years. I’m just wondering if anyone buys a 12 days calendar but still takes the tree down part way through?

I can’t quite reconcile the rise of the 12 day calendar, with the shift to people taking decorations down early. Two conflicting trends.

I got a 12 days of Christmas calendar of socks this year. My DH thought I'd start it on 12th so it would finish with the advent calendars but I waited until Christmas Eve and it's been lovely to keep things going with a treat a day.
OP posts:
ThisMustBeMyDream · 02/01/2022 23:17

Something I noticed last year (but I assumed it was due to covid) I've also noticed again this year, is that the shops have taken all their Christmas decorations down immediately upon reopening after Christmas. I find it really sad. Let the magic continue for a little longer. I don't remember it pre-pandemic. I'm sure they were up for longer. Also I've noticed far less decorations up, particularly in the supermarkets. Is this just me?

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 02/01/2022 23:18

It goes down the day before the kids go back to school. I used to do 12th night but its always midweek and too much faff.

KurtWilde · 02/01/2022 23:49

Mine went up mid November and the majority will stay up until candlemas which is 1st February.

SevenSteps · 03/01/2022 00:07

12 days.

lollipoprainbow · 03/01/2022 00:12

Ours went up on 12th December and as the tree can't be taken away for recycling until 18th Jan I will leave until then. I'll put all the other decs away though on Wednesday (12th night).

MondeoFan · 03/01/2022 00:19

Mine went up on 14th and down on 1st Jan. I like to clean and get ready for DD's birthday tomorrow

errorcode010010010100010 · 03/01/2022 00:20

I don't have a set time so it's whenever I feel like taking them down.
I'm tempted to leave them up until candlemas though. I've no need for the extra space and I can easily clean around them.
They've never come down before New Year's Day though. That is so weird as that is still the Christmas season.

PickAChew · 03/01/2022 00:23

Ours go up the weekend before Christmas and come down a day or so into the new year. They stay up around 2 weeks.

gettingolderbutcooler · 03/01/2022 00:26

Gone today.

1stWorldProblems · 03/01/2022 00:27

Up on 19th (having also decorated Grandma's on 15th for her). Down on 6th Jan - we take our real tree out to the garden, prop it up & set light to it. A Viking / pagan send off that means Xmas doesn't end quietly. This year we will have 3 trees to both as grandma & a family of friends now also join in. We toast the tree with supper too so Epiphany ends with good company.
OP looks to be right - those who put up early, take down early too.

jamandmarmaladethesecondcoming · 03/01/2022 00:42

I think the Decs and tree went up on 20th Dec

(only because we were ill in the run up to Christmas and had to wait for the car return from repair garage)

they will come down on 12th night. new tree will live out in a new pot in the garden till Christmas.

DyingForACuppa · 03/01/2022 00:50

Christmas being a 12 day feast period is a more than thousand years old cultural tradition, it's not something 'only on mumsnet' or only for the religious!

I don't care when other people do Christmas but for me it's far too much effort for one day, and we need time to actually eat all the Christmas food and the kids to enjoy their presents and to have family time etc, so we try to celebrate the full 12 days (although I always wish the school's didn't go back during it).

So Christmas decorations and tree go up on preparation for the holiday (usually the weekend before Christmas), and stay up til 12th night. I usually leave some non-specifically Christmas lights/candles up until Candlemas, just because it's still the dark part of the year.

Flaxmeadow · 03/01/2022 00:58

Usually 12th night.
I don't understand taking them down before new years eve, as to me it's still part of Xmas

Last year I didn't take the tree down until the end February. Everything was so depressing with the covid wave and the tree lights seemed to still cheer us up a bit. In dark winter months it isn't that unusual in some north countries to have festive winter lights etc long past Xmas

ChevreChase · 03/01/2022 00:59

From about 10-12 days before Christmas to Twelfth Night, although I do quite like the idea of lights until Candlemas this year. The tree might stay in the room for a couple of days, but undecorated - those always come off on 6th Jan.

Undertheoldlindentree · 03/01/2022 01:02

Same here - up during the week before Christmas Day (when DC were at school was often last day of term). Then down for Twelfth Night.

Undertheoldlindentree · 03/01/2022 01:06

I've kept plain white fairy lights in our garden trees for a few extra days sometimes as they brighten up winter evenings - not specific to Christmas.