We took down the tree and decorations today, but that's only because we've started packing to move house. Normally it all stays up until the 2nd of January.
We took down the tree and decorations today, but that's only because we've started packing to move house. Normally it all stays up until the 2nd of January.
I usually put the tree and decorations up the first weekend of December and take them down on twefth night. After all the effort of putting them up and making everything look nice, I am blowed if I would take them down before then. After all there are twelve days of Christmas and we are only at the beginning of them so far.
My MIL used to take all her Christmas cards and everything down on boxing day. It was most perculiar. We used to get invited over there on boxing day and there was no sign that it was Christmas, not even a sweet or chocolate in sight.
A friend of mine puts her decorations up at the beginning of November and doesn't take them down until the beginning of February, which seems too long to me.
Mine went up on 20th so not sick of it just yet. It takes so long to put up and take down, I need at least two weeks to recover from and work up to it.
Anyone who takes decorations down before New Year* might as well not bother because they're obviously only putting them up out of a sense of obligation rather than actually wanting them.
*The exception is anyone who goes away after Christmas; naturally it's preferable to have them already down when coming home.
The BBC news announcer just said something like "Christmas is over for another year and we look at how you can recycle your tree". In what world is that true. Christmas day is the START of Christmas not the end. Our decs went up on the 14th (a bit early for me but the kids insisted" they will come down on 5th January. Taking them down now is a real bah humbug move. Get into the seasonal spirit and enjoy Christmas instead.
My family is part-Italian and things are done differently there, certainly in the part of Italy they're from and probably throughout the country.
You see very little in the shops until early December. Christmas itself is more of a religious thing - a big family meal on Christmas Eve, while Christmas Day itself is more like a laid-back bank holiday. The big party night is New Year's Eve - they tend to go out for a few drinks in the early part of the evening, have a family meal as midnight approaches and then return to the pubs and bars and party well into the early hours, unlike in England and Wales where things have usually wound down by 1am. Epiphany Day is also huge - there are carnivals in the towns the evening before as the Three Kings arrive, and the children wake up the following morning to find the Kings have left their presents.
As such, things were always done in a similar way in our house during my childhood. The trouble with modern Britain is that a lot of people think it's Christmas when it's Advent (an austere time of preparation). We generally put our decorations up around 15th December, when we're ready for our first carols. I always got my presents on 25 December rather than Epiphany, because inevitably growing up in Britain I was brought up in the tradition of Father Christmas rather than the Three Kings.
Taking down our Christmas decorations before twelfth night would've been unthinkable in our house. We would think nothing of putting a vinyl/CD of Christmas carols or Christmas party songs on at any time before the Epiphany. In fact, I may well play some carols later tonight. In most continental countries, the decorations are still up in shops and Christmas music is still playing.
You should begin your Christmas preparations in early December and end your celebrations on 6 January. The 'other' way, namely starting your preparations weeks, or even months earlier, and ending them on Boxing Day, is following the calendar of the shops and our consumerist society.
That sounds like a good way to do Christmas (except the religion bit, I hate any attempt to try and link religion to Christmas).
The only people I know who take their decorations down early are those who put them up early eg in November or the first day of December. By the time Christmas Day has arrived, they re sick and tired of them! We put ours up relatively late and so they are still giving us pleasure. Christmas goes on for at least another week in this house!
Ha yes I am one of these guilty individuals' Mine was up in November, well I had ordered a new one, no point taking it out the box and try putting it back!
However it is still up as it is a weekend, only reason. I might take it down this evening.
Why do people think Christmas is over just because its not Christmas day anymore?
I don't, and I don't think taking my xmas tree down yesterday is me saying xmas is over. I've got 3 kids a dog and a cat and I hate clutter, we've got enough stuff for me to tidy up without all my decorations- just because my tree is down doesn't mean we won't be celebrating/playing with new toys/ watching xmas films/ eating ourselves into a coma. A tree and decorations isn't all it's about.
My family is part-Italian and things are done differently there, certainly in the part of Italy they're from and probably throughout the country.
You see very little in the shops until early December. Christmas itself is more of a religious thing - a big family meal on Christmas Eve, while Christmas Day itself is more like a laid-back bank holiday. The big party night is New Year's Eve - they tend to go out for a few drinks in the early part of the evening, have a family meal as midnight approaches and then return to the pubs and bars and party well into the early hours, unlike in England and Wales where things have usually wound down by 1am. Epiphany Day is also huge - there are carnivals in the towns the evening before as the Three Kings arrive, and the children wake up the following morning to find the Kings have left their presents.
As such, things were always done in a similar way in our house during my childhood. The trouble with modern Britain is that a lot of people think it's Christmas when it's Advent (an austere time of preparation). We generally put our decorations up around 15th December, when we're ready for our first carols. I always got my presents on 25 December rather than Epiphany, because inevitably growing up in Britain I was brought up in the tradition of Father Christmas rather than the Three Kings.
Taking down our Christmas decorations before twelfth night would've been unthinkable in our house. We would think nothing of putting a vinyl/CD of Christmas carols or Christmas party songs on at any time before the Epiphany. In fact, I may well play some carols later tonight. In most continental countries, the decorations are still up in shops and Christmas music is still playing.
You should begin your Christmas preparations in early December and end your celebrations on 6 January. The 'other' way, namely starting your preparations weeks, or even months earlier, and ending them on Boxing Day, is following the calendar of the shops and our consumerist society.
Even though Christmas is technically over, its still the Christmas period for us, we've had the build up, we've had the xmas day, and now its the christmas wind down until the new year.
We get our tree a week or 2 before xmas, and keep it up until a few days after the new year, normally the 1st weekend after New years day as thats when we've got the time and feel most suitable.
Plus having the tree up always gives off a cosy feeling when chilling out on the sofa with the open fire lit, nibbles underneath it, and films or dvds at the ready along with different beverages in the corner cupboard
Agree with all of this - I could have written it myself! I love the cosyness of relaxing after dinner in front of the tree in the nice and warm while there's no need to worry about getting up for work/college/school the next morning.
I love the leading up to Christmas, so I'm going to enjoy the wind down too as the season gets forgotten too quick. My own decs and tree will come down after New Years Day and not before! ;-)
I don't, and I don't think taking my xmas tree down yesterday is me saying xmas is over. I've got 3 kids a dog and a cat and I hate clutter, we've got enough stuff for me to tidy up without all my decorations- just because my tree is down doesn't mean we won't be celebrating/playing with new toys/ watching xmas films/ eating ourselves into a coma. A tree and decorations isn't all it's about.
So...this might seem an obvious question, but....if you see the tree and decorations as just clutter (which I agree with!), why on Earth did you even put them up in the first place?
The only people I know who take their decorations down early are those who put them up early eg in November or the first day of December. By the time Christmas Day has arrived, they re sick and tired of them! We put ours up relatively late and so they are still giving us pleasure. Christmas goes on for at least another week in this house!
I put mine up on Christmas eve and im in the middle of taking them down today. So your theory is wrong with me.
One thing I don't get is the people who put it up just a few days before Christmas if your only going to have it up a few days or a week why bother in the first place.
I have mine up for about 6-7 weeks and still not wanting to take it down I get very depressed when it all has to come down.
One thing I don't get is the people who put it up just a few days before Christmas if your only going to have it up a few days or a week why bother in the first place.
I have mine up for about 6-7 weeks and still not wanting to take it down I get very depressed when it all has to come down.
When I was a kid people decorated Christmas eve and left them up till 12 night. When my kids were little people decorated about the week before Christmas and took them down 12th night.
I personally now put them up only if I have people coming over for Christmas lunch/day. Then take them down when all visits have finished.
There isnt any magic to Christmas for me anymore, as it starts way way to early and by the time it comes I'm sick and tired of it.
Comments
2nd or 5th?
same here i wont be back to work until the 5th
My MIL used to take all her Christmas cards and everything down on boxing day. It was most perculiar. We used to get invited over there on boxing day and there was no sign that it was Christmas, not even a sweet or chocolate in sight.
A friend of mine puts her decorations up at the beginning of November and doesn't take them down until the beginning of February, which seems too long to me.
*The exception is anyone who goes away after Christmas; naturally it's preferable to have them already down when coming home.
That sounds like a good way to do Christmas (except the religion bit, I hate any attempt to try and link religion to Christmas).
Never had one up in the first place, or decorations for that matter.
Ha yes I am one of these guilty individuals' Mine was up in November, well I had ordered a new one, no point taking it out the box and try putting it back!
However it is still up as it is a weekend, only reason. I might take it down this evening.
No had mine up in Nov and I am already upset they will have to come down in a week or two
I don't, and I don't think taking my xmas tree down yesterday is me saying xmas is over. I've got 3 kids a dog and a cat and I hate clutter, we've got enough stuff for me to tidy up without all my decorations- just because my tree is down doesn't mean we won't be celebrating/playing with new toys/ watching xmas films/ eating ourselves into a coma. A tree and decorations isn't all it's about.
Exactly. I cannot understand why you wouldn't at least want the tree up for New Years Eve. They're down the next day.
Hear hear!
I love the leading up to Christmas, so I'm going to enjoy the wind down too as the season gets forgotten too quick. My own decs and tree will come down after New Years Day and not before! ;-)
So...this might seem an obvious question, but....if you see the tree and decorations as just clutter (which I agree with!), why on Earth did you even put them up in the first place?
I put mine up on Christmas eve and im in the middle of taking them down today. So your theory is wrong with me.
I have mine up for about 6-7 weeks and still not wanting to take it down I get very depressed when it all has to come down.
When I was a kid people decorated Christmas eve and left them up till 12 night. When my kids were little people decorated about the week before Christmas and took them down 12th night.
I personally now put them up only if I have people coming over for Christmas lunch/day. Then take them down when all visits have finished.
There isnt any magic to Christmas for me anymore, as it starts way way to early and by the time it comes I'm sick and tired of it.