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

Around us almost everyone put them up on 30th Nov weekend and take them down by new year. It’s part of that getting the house ready to start the new year afresh feeling, declutter the house post presents and get ready to go back to work. the council also collects them on the 2nd.Like with sending Xmas cards, I think there’s been a cultural shift to this, as leaving a tree up for ages in Jan when everyone has gone back to work - no one wants to do that after work.

In 2024 I had my tree and decorations up in late November. I was mid-chemo and spending a lot of time on my sofa, so it was lovely to have something pretty to look at. I never take it down before 6 January, so I don't fall into the group who put decorations up early and take them down early as well!

Normally I put them up right at the beginning of December. I love Christmas 🎄

I wonder if it's because most people on here are English and don't celebrate New Year. For me taking down decorations before the New Year celebrations are over (and I grew up in a rural community where they went on for days) is equivalent to taking down the decorations on Christmas Eve.

And the 'I've got work' arguments are rubbish unless you put the decorations up on Christmas Eve and took them down on the 28th this year (and in Scotland Christmas Day was a normal working day within living memory). Everyone has work to go to during December (and November!) so why does it suddenly be imperative to take down the decorations before returning to work in January? I grew up on a farm, there was always work to be done on Christmas Day and New Years Day but that doesn't mean they weren't still feast days.

@JaninaDuszejko because the majority don’t want to be dealing with decorations when they get home from work. Me included.

Same every year here. 1st to 27th December. Sometimes 28th. It will depend what we have on. I don’t like new year so like to get the house back to normal and cleaned before then. We have a big tidy out and do a tip run and I certainly want that done before going back to work for a couple of days between Christmas and New Year.

This year they'll be coming down this weekend.

Other years I've literally been chucking the Christmas tree out the back door the evening of the 6th (I'm not superstitious, but also I don't lie to tempt fate ;) )

I do hate to see them go though - I'm going to put up something along the ceiling in the hallways for the rest of the winter, just to stave off the darkness!

Usually 2nd Jan, so today

Usually ours come down the first weekend of Jan although I start taking the odd bits down from new year as I clean. The tree is usually collected the first full week of Jan so it needs to be out by the 6th this year I think.

I have taken the two big trees down this morning and the little tree will be down tomorrow. All the decorations and trees were up mid november and come down after new year. It takes 3 days to decorate the house and takes stages to take it all down again. But after all that effort not a chance they are going away until the 2nd, and 3rd january.

So do it the first weekend/scheduled day off in January then, just like you presumably put them up at a weekend/scheduled day off.

Im Scottish and don't particularly care for new year. Often bedded before the bells. And thankfully New Year's Day is quiet for me too.

decidations will be coming down today as that's the day that suits me best. Always have the house back to normal for returning back to work.

january is my busiest work month, and often working overtime so want my house all clean before im back. Sometimes thats on 3 Jan so in these years tree tends to be down and away before new year.

these threads always make me laugh - the judgement about others decorating/taking the decorations down at a time that suits them best! Lets just let people do it when it suits them.

Put them up as late as possible and down on New Year’s Eve. Decorations were up less than 2 weeks.

Ours will probably come down tomorrow (Sunday) so everyone can muck in. The decs are one of the things I miss most about Christmas but now I just keep thinking they will all be gone soon so might as well get on with it.

I actually quite like the peace that January brings though.

The decorations will come off the tree/around house fully tomorrow

then the tree will get chopped up and composted around the garden Monday

It depends how new year and my work fall. If I have to be straight into work after the new year I take them down before new year so I don't have to face it after a week of work. This time I have had a few days before I have to go back to work so took them down over the weekend.

I don't put the decorations up in the evening after work, I do it when we are all at home for a full day and can enjoy it slowly, its an exciting day. I also do not want to come home from work tired and start dealing with taking them down, so again do it when I have plenty of time.
Your normal down on the farm does not fall in with the majority!

i'm Irish - we always take down on the 6th - "little Christmas" (Nollaig na mBan) which is the Twelfth Day of Christmas,
Always been told its terribly bad luck to take down before this by my nana so i never do!

Im still recovering from the flu so not a lot of energy still but getting there. I started to take off the baubles today but will hopefully take the tree down completly on Wedsnday it will still look nice tonight and tomorrow eve as it has built in warm lights.
If i dont do it weds then it will be this wk end.

Out of interest, do churches in Ireland keep their cribs up until Candlemas?

Mine are still up, probably till Candlemas. There’s a reason for my username. 😆

No, I don’t think so, not in my experience anyway. The end of the Christmas season from the Catholic Church’s pov is the Sunday after the Epiphany.

We usually do the 6th, but my mum can no longer do it due to medical issues, me and DP were working, today was ds18th birthday so we were busy celebrating that, we were busy Sunday so we took the tree down the 2nd and the lights out front came down the 3rd. Never straight after Christmas though.🙃

Me too. I have ivy and fairy lights on the mantlepiece and a light up twig birch tree. Anything obviously Christmassy will go, but the fairy lights and wintry decorations will stay.

Same here

Today is our Christmas day, so finishing touches to the tree are happening this morning, 🎄and it generally comes down on the 18th, but we have Armenian friends who celebrate on the 19th, so if they are visiting we'll often keep it up an extra couple of days for their childrens enjoyment.
We are always so happy to spot others trees, decorations or lights up past the 6th. (for whatever reasons).