I'm one of those people who puts the christmas tree and decorations and outdoor lights up the weekend after Thanksgiving. For me, it's the weeks leading up to the holiday itself that speak of "the Holiday Season". It's the anticipation of the family gatherings and the giving of gifts that were chosen with love, the preparation and consuming of all those traditional foods that I cherish most.
The day AFTER Christmas?... it's over. I've already put away the stockings and taken down the holiday cards taped to a wall in the kitchen. The - Dear Santa, I can explain - kind of pillows I have tossed around the house are bagged and sitting on the cellar stairs waiting to be shelved. All gifts have been put away and clothes that are too worn or too small (for various reasons, not just youthful growth)... are bagged or thrown out, replaced by the new stuff that was under the tree. All extra Christmas Candy and most of the leftover cookies were thrown out yesterday and I'm staring at that Christmas tree, trying to hold off until New Years. I do love the look of an evening house with soft Christmas tree lights to illuminate a room -
My neighbor across the street, an amazing woman of 93 years... begins her decorating on Christmas Eve. For the month of January she will enjoy her festive home and water the tree in her living room. When my mother was very young, my grandparents also brought the tree in and decorated it on Christmas Eve after their three children were in bed. I know that by the time I was born my grandmother put up the tree weeks before Christmas... but I'm curious as to when the majority of people begin their decking of halls, and then pack it away... what say you?
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We don't do a whole lot of Christmas here ... what we do use is put out whenever I get the urge ... generally some time in early December. Our middle daughter's birthday is Jan 1, so it was important to us to have all signs of Christmas gone before then so she/we could focus on her birthday as a stand-alone holiday.
ReplyDeleteThis year, I imagine that we will get at least the tree and garland down and put away some time today or tomorrow. Sunday will be cleaning lady day, and this timing makes it so SHE can clean up the needles and glitter on the floor, not us.
Your banner is so gorgeous! That's a beautiful view of your home. I put things away when the mood strikes me...and I can feel it coming! I remember some of the old movies and the I love Lucy show where they put the tree up on Christmas eve. Seems rushed, doesn't it? Sweet hugs!
ReplyDeleteI put the tree up around the first of December so we can enjoy the lights in the corner of the living room. I will probably leave it up until New Year's, but all the rest of the stuff will be packed away this weekend. I don't do a lot, just enough to make it festive for the two of us. I am OVER the Christmas treats. Ugh. Give me a bunch of salad, quick.
ReplyDeleteOmigosh I'm so with you on this. I took down half of the decorations yesterday. I've never done that before, but I'm just over it. I feel sick and just want to fast for a month. LOL
ReplyDeleteI am one of those who put up the decorations and tree as early as possible--this year the house was decorated before Thanksgiving, but the tree went up the Saturday after. I leave it ALL up until sometime in January--after the first week--sometimes much later. I love it so much, the house looks so beautiful, the lights are so magical and calming, the season does not last long enough for me. I go crazy with the thought that anyone (sorry) would take everything down the day after Christmas--how can you end the season so quickly--I don't understand. It makes me so sad to see trees thrown to the curbside on Dec, 26. When I do finally put everything away and have the house neat and clean and orderly again--well that does make me feel good too--just not until some time in January!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe put up the weekend after thanksgiving and I'm trying to hold off till New Years but I doubt it will make it ! You know when it's over it's over
ReplyDeleteI put up the first week of December... and am keeping it up until Epiphany, though I have to admit I am probably going to pack the Santa collection away and reclaim part of my sideboard. The Nativity Scene and the trees will stay up for the whole twelve days, though.
ReplyDeleteHaha my stuff is all live with fruit and flowers so it's a brief affair. Starting usually around the 18th or so. I'd love to put it up earlier but I don't want it to look crunchy by the actual holiday. A mistake I've made before. But I start listening to Christmas music Nov 1 :) but I'm totally with you-on the 26th the romance is gone and I'm finished with them. Like anything I think the anticipation is the best part. I call the 26th Christmas Carnage because all the garlands and swags and decorations on the tree I so carefully put up are torn down in a completely unceremonious fashion. But I have waited until Christmas Eve to put the tree up and that really is a fun thing to do. But people like us is that no matter what we mumble under our breath taking down this year, we'll be just as excited to put it all up again next year.
ReplyDeleteWe don't do any decorating until 2 weeks before Christmas and go out to cut our tree down around mid month. Thanksgiving is in early Oct here, so it has no association with Yule. I will put away Christmas with glee on New Year's Day...
ReplyDeleteI put the tree up right before Thanksgiving (if I'm not hosting the dinner that year) or right after (if I am) and leave the decorations up until the Feast of Ephiphany in January. Usually, it's not long enough to suit me! Since we don't emphasis receiving presents (usually only 1-2 per person, generally handmade),'atmosphere' counts for ALOT of our enjoyment of the season.
ReplyDeleteI wait until Dec. 1 to put the tree up, and it will stay up until we're done traveling for Christmas. I have a hard time letting go of those soft lights too, but I've started slowly packing away the ornaments and knick knacks.
ReplyDeleteI only put the tree up on Christmas eve - that is the way it was done when I was a child in Germany. I feel that if it is put up earlier there is no "magic" by the time Christmas rolls around. I do put up some decorations for the advent season and it all comes down early in the new year. Wishing you and your family the best.
ReplyDeleteNormally, I take it all down like the day after Christmas. This year, I'm lazy! Probably over the weekend, but maybe not until I hear if Hunter is going to be here with me some. She's "horse" camping right now. :)
ReplyDeleteYour header is absolutely stunning; I love it.
xoxo
Karen - I put the tree up on Dec 1 and leave it up until January 2. My husband's birthday is January 10 and every year he teasingly complains that his mother always left the tree up for his birthday. We've been married 50 years and he was 26 when we got married so I'd say the 'tradition' of NOT having the tree up for his birthday outweighs the number of years he did have it.
ReplyDeleteGetting back to the putting up and taking down thing though. I feel when it's over, it's over and as much as I love the lights and decorations etc... once January 2nd rolls around they all need to go away for another year. Some call me Scrooge but I bah humbug to that :)
When my girls were little we'd alternate one year putting the tree up on Christmas Eve after they'd gone to bed... with them helping to do the tree the alternating year. They started asking questions when they went to school as to why some of their friends already had trees and why did they have to wait for Santa to bring it.
I enjoy decorating the tree and mentally telling the ornaments what has happened during the year they've been packed away sleeping. It's kind of my own year in review.
-Joan-
www.mvobsession.com
Yes, over it. But it takes me a bit of time to get everything put away and the tree does stay up until the day after New Years or so for the same reasons as you.
ReplyDeleteI do beg every year for the outdoor lights to stay up through February. It's dark around these parts! It gets dark by 4:30 and I love coming home to a house lit up reflecting off of the snow.
When I was a kid I didnt see a christmas tree or light until I woke up on xmas morning. It was quite spectacular. But, my wife and I have always put up the decorations and the tree a week or 2 before xmas. We leave everything up and lit until after New Years. On another note, I was telling my daughter of the time you did the photo an hour project on christmas. That was fun.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about that! I loved that too.
DeleteOur decorations go up a couple of weeks before Christmas and then down the day after. Sometimes all that, "stuff", gets to be a bit much in the house.
ReplyDeleteIf you hear any noises outside tonight it will be me. I am going dumpster diving for those clothes, cookies and candies!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
I put the decorations up at my 92-year-old Mom's house the weekend before Christmas. Her great joy is her collection of miniature lighted houses (Dept 56). She loves to turn on all the lights at night and sit next to the displays and enjoy all the buildings, people, trees, etc. So, I don't put anything away until she's ready - maybe mid January.
ReplyDeleteKaren -
ReplyDeleteAn amazing and uplifting story.
-Joan-
www.mvobsession.com
We do it in early December and undo it during the first or second week in January.
ReplyDelete