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Original poster

Candlemas (or later in Jan at least) for decs - anyone else?

56 replies

FestiveFruitloop · 29/12/2022 22:09

Anyone planning to leave their tree/decs up past Twelfth Night/possibly even to Candlemas?

I give it serious thought every year, and this year I think I'm going to do it. I find that the decorations, and in particular the lights, seem to help my SAD tremendously, and the thought of having the living room all bare and sad for January is so depressing.

The real tree in the conservatory is definitely staying until it's looking too bedraggled to be worth keeping - whenever that may turn out to be. For the artificial one in the living room, I'm thinking of replacing the more overtly Christmassy items after Twelfth Night with some that have a 'winter' rather than a 'Christmas' feel.

Anyone else doing similar? (And just in case anyone recognises my username, yes I do post this same question, or a version of it, every year. 😂😂)

OP posts:
PurBal · 29/12/2022 22:11

Crib gets left until Candlemas definitely. The magi haven’t even arrived yet!

TheaBrandt · 29/12/2022 22:37

Nah find it depressing having sad Christmas decorations hanging about. Gone before schools get back usually NYD or day after that.

ZeViteVitchofCwismas · 29/12/2022 22:46

Op I do what I like and am not dictated too by any dates from someone else million's of years ago.

Sometimes that means a clean fresh start in early January and the Decs down.

Sometimes that could mean decs up all January .... it's such a tough grey month and we often get snow.

They definitely won't be going down soon here as they went up later than usual ( a week for Xmas).

Original poster
FestiveFruitloop · 29/12/2022 23:02

PurBal · 29/12/2022 22:11

Crib gets left until Candlemas definitely. The magi haven’t even arrived yet!

I like your thinking!

OP posts:
babynoname22 · 29/12/2022 23:07

My tree is down! The rest will follow tomorrow. I need so clean round and declutter. I also cannot tell my toddler one more time to stop pulling the tree 🤦‍♀️

DoreensEatingHerSoreen · 29/12/2022 23:07

ZeViteVitchofCwismas · 29/12/2022 22:46

Op I do what I like and am not dictated too by any dates from someone else million's of years ago.

Sometimes that means a clean fresh start in early January and the Decs down.

Sometimes that could mean decs up all January .... it's such a tough grey month and we often get snow.

They definitely won't be going down soon here as they went up later than usual ( a week for Xmas).

More like 2023 years ago 😉

TheNewlmprovedMrsMadEvans · 29/12/2022 23:09

Leaving ours up till a week this Saturday at least. The 7th, Twelfth night is the 5th.

InconvenientPeg · 29/12/2022 23:16

Decorations will come down on the 6th but I have fairy lights up in the lounge year round and a twig tree in the porch that has new timer fairy lights on, the mini baubles will come off if it, but the lights will stay because they look fab.

So a bit of a mixture here.

Dreamstosell · 29/12/2022 23:18

I’ll probably take the tree down on the 8th as I go back to work on the 9th so that feels like the end of the Christmas/ New Year period. I’m thinking of leaving the lights up on the garden fence for longer - brighten up the dark winter days.

(I’ll need to Google Candlemass as I’ve no idea when that is)

TheNewlmprovedMrsMadEvans · 29/12/2022 23:23

Candlemas is Feb 2nd it's too late for us although l would love to leave them up .

LittlePearl · 29/12/2022 23:25

We left our (artificial) tree up until February last year, but took down cards etc.

I rather liked it and think we’ll do the same this year.

MenopauseSucks · 29/12/2022 23:29

I'll be taking down my inside decorations on 12th Night.
As for the battery-powered lights I artfully threw over various shrubs in the front garden?
They're staying til Candlemass!!

Teenagehorrorbag · 29/12/2022 23:49

Our tree is a real one in a pot which we put outside each Jan and bring in (having grown a bit bigger) each December. I always worry about it getting re-acclimatised to the cold, so when we put it out will depend very much on the weather.

I'd love to leave our outside lights up longer, and may do, but we do take down the internal decorations and cards. Always a shame though - and then it means I have to dust.....:-)

Do whatever you prefer OP - and enjoy!!

Original poster
FestiveFruitloop · 30/12/2022 00:01

Teenagehorrorbag · 29/12/2022 23:49

Our tree is a real one in a pot which we put outside each Jan and bring in (having grown a bit bigger) each December. I always worry about it getting re-acclimatised to the cold, so when we put it out will depend very much on the weather.

I'd love to leave our outside lights up longer, and may do, but we do take down the internal decorations and cards. Always a shame though - and then it means I have to dust.....:-)

Do whatever you prefer OP - and enjoy!!

Thanks, I'm starting to lean towards getting some winter-themed decs for the fake tree, replacing the Xmas baubles with those, and then... just seeing how I feel really. I've read about people keeping them up all year and alternating Xmas baubles with spring/summer/Halloween themed ones, but I think that's going a little far even for me. 😄
We tried to nurture a living tree for some years, a while back, but it did eventually rebel and die, sadly. Sounds like yours is faring better!

OP posts:
JoyeuxNarwhal · 30/12/2022 00:23

The tree will come down on 12th night (or the weekend say nearest to it). Tinsel up the stair ceiling and lights will stay longer probably. Some lights are year round anyway.

SnuggleBuggleBoo · 30/12/2022 00:37

We all had Covid and haven't even celebrated Christmas yet (planning to hold a half-hearted version tomorrow) so I'm not sure. On the one hand we only started putting the decs up on Christmas Eve, on the other hand it's been so utterly shit I kind of want it all done and dusted.

Splonker · 30/12/2022 00:47

I'm with you OP. The decs make me happy and January is the worst month. I sometimes think Christmas should be in the 3rd week of January. That way we'd get longer to prepare, have a week off & we'd already have mostly skipped winter! Xmas Grin

Catmuffin · 30/12/2022 02:03

Mine come down in the New Year but I then like to look towards Spring with pastel candles and vases, flowers, lemon scents. Hopefully my snow drops will come up soon, followed by other spring bulbs

Daisy62 · 30/12/2022 02:06

I take my tree down on twelfth night, but keep out lots of white candles and silver or mercury glass candle holders, add bowls of bulbs and fairy lights

watchfulwishes · 30/12/2022 02:13

I'm going to take down Christmas decorations gradually, with everything gone by 12th night, but I'm planning to keep some lights and add something cheerful for January (to be decided, I make my own anyway). I decorate for spring quite often but don't feel like waiting so long this year.

fancyacuppatea · 30/12/2022 09:06

When I take the tree down - pos 12th night - I'll use the fairy lights from it and put them around the roof of the conservatory.
They're cheaper to run than a lamp. Xmas Grin

fancyacuppatea · 30/12/2022 09:07

Oh, forgot to say - I did that last year and they stayed up until after Easter.
I had to take them down so I could close the blinds against the sun - things you don't need to worry about at this time of year.

bigbadbarry · 30/12/2022 09:08

I take mine down for twelfth night but as others have said I leave all the candles and quite a lot of fairy lights up until the evenings get lighter

TheYearOfSmallThings · 30/12/2022 09:10

It all comes down on 6 Jan, and I put out white candles and a bunch of harlequin tulips in spring colours.

Limer · 30/12/2022 09:13

All decs down on Twelfth Night, but I always buy lots of Christmassy candles to light during the dark winter evenings until Candlemas.