Decorations down and away!

I am waiting for the delivery of a new vacuum cleaner as my old one has pretty much given up the ghost. Then I will be able to get rid of the last traces of tinsel.

DH has only brought some of the boxes down. And I need to go out to buy some milk. [howl]

Does everyone feed their lights carefully back into their boxes, or just tumble them (carefully) into strong paper carrier bags?

anno I'm also waiting for delivery of a new vacuum cleaner - what did you buy?

I bought the new Dyson that's been 'tested' here - wasn't selected to test but did get a 20% off voucher.

A rather clever marketing exercise by Dyson, I know, but I've needed a new vacuum for ages as my current one is on its last legs.

Rightho , boxes all ready , Christmas mugs , washed and boxed up .

Just got to take everything down, put away and we are good to go .

Probably will all look a bit bare . Heyho ! Till next year !

i need chocolate. or cake.

I can't find the tin that my fairy doll lives in! With the tinsel. [despair in fact]

Riverwalk, I haven't gone the whole hog on a new cleaner - just a lightweight one from Amazon. I can't cope with a heavy one.

anno this new-fangled cordless Dyson is meant to be lightweight - not like their usual beasts - in fact it looks more like a metal detector!

My fairy just got shoved in head-first on top of the tinsel.....!

Christmas mugs still in service,I had forgotten them, thanks for the reminder Nonu

You more than welcome Grannyeggs .

Found a stray bag of crisps. That'll do nicely.

I planned to take mine down tomorrow but have a rotten head cold and DH is out with his cycling club tomorrow so said he'd take them down today if I felt up to directing operations. Did so, and they're down, packed in boxes and ready for the loft.

My question is will the sneezing, coughing and spluttering of viruses I did over and in the boxes survive until next year? Does anyone know the lifespan of cold viruses?

Less than a year! Gaga . A couple of days max.

When DD was a child, ok right up till she left home at 18, we used to de-christmas on the 6th after she'd gone to bed. The xmas decs were replaced with balloons & streamers for her birthday on the 7th. Ergo 12th night = 6th please don't tell me I've been wrong all these years! Don't care about superstitions though. Intended taking them down before now but haven't had the energy, mañana perhaps.

Y0u have been wrong. It is the evening of the 5th. Apparently new days started when it got dark. According to the link Ana yes ANA put up.

I've shredded the xmas tree all except for the trunk which has gone on one of the piles of seasoning logs. It smelled nice while I was shredding.

Mmm. Chocolate. There's a thought. <wanders off>

Chocolate bites back. See my post on new what-I-did-today thread.

Aaaarrrgghhhh

According to my mother the greenery had to be burned!!!

Thanks, jingl - I think we can share the credit! If it only applies to greenery it won't affect me as we have an artificial tree and I didn't bring any holly in this year. It would have all shrivelled up by now anyway...

You're not wrong, baubles. As with so many things, there is more than one correct answer! Traditions vary according to area and belief system - a quick google will confirm either the 5th or the 6th as Twelfth Night. Certainly when I was growing up in the North East, the 6th was Twelfth Night and that's when the decorations always came down. I hate taking mine down, as I always go way over the top at Christmas and everything looks so boring when they're gone. At least we've got the weekend to do it this year, whatever date we go for.....

Baubles 7th is my birthday too and there was never a shred of Christmas left when I was a child; it was all a bit low key But (we lived with my GPs) my mother's birthday was December 18th, my GF'S Christmas Day, mine 7th January and my GM's 10th January. So I suppose it was all bit much....

My DC transfer my significant birthdays to the May Bank Holidays, and that is lovely. However, I see a GN digression coming on, so will stop for now.

Nothing wrong with a bit of digression, Ariadne, and transferring your birthday to a significant date in May sounds smashing.
Great idea in fact!

ariadne thats a great idea which I think I may borrow I think I will transfer my birthday to another point in the year as I get IOUs from various family members as 1st Feb every one is still skint.