When do you remove your Christmas decorations?

[Cosmicstarlight]

I walk daily with the kids and noticed that on the 28th some lights had already been taken down. I thought it was a bit early but I suppose better to get it out of the way while you’re off, get ready for the new year etc. We were a bit disappointed though as there are some elaborate ott decorations and we love looking at them!
I usually take our tree down on 4th Jan or after but am thinking about doing it today as it’s so big and bushy it’s overtaking our front room. Plus collection stated to have it out the front by the 3rd.

Should we stay festive for a day or two? Or just get rid of it while I’ve got the motivation?!

Happy new year everyone x

I've only heard this on MN.
Why is it bad luck? Surely any arbitrary date could be filled with just as much bad luck?
I don't understand the logic. You could say its good luck to do washing as its a clean start to the year.

I honestly don't know the origins of the superstition.
I only discovered it a few years ago while staying at my mother in-laws at New Year and she wouldn't let me put a wash on.
My mum would probably say "don't be daft" and hand me the washing basket 😂

I took the tree and indoor decorations down today. But the lights outside are still there and on. Most of our street still have their outdoor lights up which is nice on dark dreary days.

Same here. I’m usually an Epiphany kinda girl but just had this need for things to be fresh. It had been up since the first weekend of December though, so it was time for it to go to its eternal rest (over the fence into the scrubland next to the house).

My mum was SO superstitious. Probably why I'm not. :)

I've heard it all my life and I'm in my sixties. In my family it's not about bad luck in general, it's about bringing death to someone in the family. The superstition came from my mum, her mother and grandmother( born 1872) , so it's been going for a very long time.

All superstitions are arbitrary though aren't they, so this one is no different to any other.

Most of my family is dead now, apart from siblings in other countries. Not everyone has people to be together with.
I guess that gives me carte blanche to do what I want with my decorations.
And I could argue equally that Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ, rather than family and togetherness. But I wouldn't, because the meaning others attribute to it is not up to me.

Oh like not putting new shoes on the table.
I don't see how doing washing on one day is any worse than any other. If it brings death, it brings death. And the new year starts in different places at different times.
I used to get told off for putting new shoes on the table. Don't understand that one either - they're clean. I can completely understand not putting old worn shoes on the table.

My tree comes down today. My lights outside stay up all year round. I have a few decorations that stay up all year in my living room.
One year my mom didn't take her tree down until March as she was looking after my then 3 year-old and he said Grammy needed to keep it up.

I do it in between Christmas and new year, I like to have the house fresh and back to normal before new year's eve.

I'm not religious and don't observe the '12 days'/epiphany.

Normally Boxing Day or the 27th but we went away so this year it was the 29th.

My friend always posts a reminder not to do any washing on New Year’s Day. I’ve always scoffed at it and last year replied to her saying I’ve done two loads today and don’t believe in superstition. She told me I had washed two lives away, I said if people are going to die they would have died anyway. Then both my parents died within a week of each other. I still don’t really believe in it but haven’t done any washing today just in case!

Ours came down on 30th…all packed away now and house was blitzed clean for new year….mine are always down before new year

Bits n bobs came down today
Tree - I'll do Saturday when husband is off to out it in the loft.

I think our decorations will stay up til Tuesday. We’re both not working on Tuesday and the kids will be back at school. I remember a friend taking his decorations down on New Year’s Day when we’d stayed over after a party, took him about 15 minutes, one carrier bag, one box. Ours takes a whole day now as we have so many decorations and lots of china ornaments and glass baubles that need to be packed carefully.

Always after new year and before we go back to work. So probably Sat or Sun this year, I was thinking about tomorrow, but fancy some board games while we finish the Christmas chocs, so it will be nice to still have them up for that.

2nd January if we still have guests staying on NYD. Otherwise we do it on the 1st. Dh is always itching to take them down, so he did it today. We don't put ours up until mid December, but I don't like them hanging around once January starts!

I just suggested taking ours down to my youngest (autistic) and he wasn’t amused by the idea so ours may be up longer than planned!

We have taken ours down today. For us it's more a case of when we have time, are not working etc. Today worked well as we had no other plans.

30th December for us. The tree sets off my allergies and the constant coughing/ sniffling was starting to annoy me.

Takes us about 15 to 20 mins to get the decorations down, including the tree back in the box.

No chance of having a real tree again, bloody pain in the arse the couple of times we did.

Our real tree probably takes less than 20 mins. I just take it out of the stand and put it on the front drive for the local farmer to collect.

Did it yesterday. The cats don't come in to the front room over Christmas- as they play and hide in the tree. I was missing them so it went down.... Normally not till the 6th Jan. My sister doesn't take hers down till middlemas in Feb.

I know some people keep decorations up until Twelfth Night, but I like to ease into the new year a bit earlier. It helps me reset and feel ready for what’s next.
It also feels more in line with the older idea of the 12 nights after the solstice - a natural point to reset, although I don’t follow that rigidly either. I simply do what feels right to me.

I’m not just talking about the tree, it’s everything, packed (thrown in a box) and then put away.