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Can I take the decorations down now?

(119 Posts)
Teetime Tue 26-Dec-17 09:25:49

I know its traditional to take the decs down on 12th night but I really couldn't bear that. I always have them down by 1st Jan - but I'm very tempted today- might do a bit of thinning out tomorrow with the usual Wednesday clean through.

dancingnana1 Wed 27-Dec-17 13:01:40

I have just finished taling my decorations down. I normally dont take them down until the 4th January but since that is my 70th birthday I decided I would break with tradition! I have kept the family Christmas cards up though. Shall take them down on the 4th and replace with birthday cards. The house looks back to normal!

sluttygran Wed 27-Dec-17 13:15:02

I take all my decorations down after Boxing Day except the tree. It does look so cheerful and bright and the DGC love it.
On January 6th, the sky will start to brighten as our hemisphere moves noticeably nearer to the sun.
Seems like a good day to have a tidy round and really think about the New Year!

Legs55 Wed 27-Dec-17 13:19:51

Mine will come down on the 5th January, I'm out for Lunch on the 6th & meeting friends on the 4th. Some may disappear before but not the tree & lights, I love having the lights on when it's grey outside.

DD used to take her's decorations down on Boxing Day but with my DGSs I suspect she will wait until DGS1 goes back to school next week.

Each to their own, my decorations went up on 1st December & I can certainly ignore the dusttchblush

eazybee Wed 27-Dec-17 13:24:25

Only one thing annoys me more than decorations going up on December !st, and that is decorations coming down on Boxing Day. It's Christmas! That is the whole point of the decorations, to celebrate Christmas.

Mercedes55 Wed 27-Dec-17 13:25:43

I tend to take mine down in dribs and drabs but leave the Christmas tree as long as possible. We have a real tree and it's been up since the beginning of December and as it's in the conservatory which is pretty chilly, the needles seem to stay on, so as long as stays looking pretty I leave it.

However I do get fed up of all the cards, the decorations on the mantle piece, the dining table centrepiece and the little fibre optic tree, so I've actually taken them all down today and it still looks festive so I'm not at all bothered and feel that I've at least halved the amount of work it would take if I waited till January.

Nanny123 Wed 27-Dec-17 13:34:33

See on social media that people have already taken them down - for me I will probably take them down at the weekend.

NannyTee Wed 27-Dec-17 13:47:43

Bah Humbug springs to mind grin

Rosina Wed 27-Dec-17 14:05:37

I love my tree (pine aroma all over the holiday) and the decorations, but they are coming down today. Once Christmas is over, that's it - I don't want to keep looking at decorations and I want back the floor space that the tree takes up.
Having the decorations for about twelve days keeps them special each year - if I had to look at them for three weeks or so it would be too much.

Cubagran Wed 27-Dec-17 14:06:47

Oh, definitely 6th January for me, I love them.

GrannyO Wed 27-Dec-17 14:10:52

Christmas tree will stay up till New Year but Christmas cards came down today, love the feeling of space once again in my living room.

inishowen Wed 27-Dec-17 15:24:40

I've thinned mine out today, but will leave the tree and Christmas cards until Jan 1st.

HurdyGurdy Wed 27-Dec-17 15:25:21

I will take mine down this weekend. For me, Christmas is at the end of the year, not the beginning, so I don't want them up on January 1st.

And I will take the grouch mantle if required. I can't bear Christmas decorations at all. I can just about stomach a tree, but dangly stuff and tinsel and twinkly lights all around the house is just not for me. I put up with it all when the kids were young, because they loved it. But not now.

Sheilasue Wed 27-Dec-17 15:35:38

You sound to me like you put them up way to early. Ours won’t go down to when we feel like taking them down.

grizelda Wed 27-Dec-17 15:57:30

I don't know whether they wewe very superstitious but my family always took then down by 31 December as they didn't want the year's bad luck to follow into the nes year. Unfortunately both my children listened to my mother and they do the same. Their partners are rather baffleed

threexnanny Wed 27-Dec-17 16:22:43

On the programme yesterday about the Queen's Christmas at Sandringham they said she likes her decorations so much they stay up until she leaves there in mid February!
Sometime between new year and 6th January suits us, and yes, my first thought then is to get a large bunch of fresh flowers to brighten up the space again.

Mapleleaf Wed 27-Dec-17 16:49:12

6th January for me.

Jalima1108 Wed 27-Dec-17 17:14:23

Mine will come down on the 5th January.

Lilylilo Wed 27-Dec-17 17:17:28

I thought you shouldn't keep them up after 12th night. I get mine down pretty quickly altho the solar lights round our trees in the front garden will probably stay on for months!

Jalima1108 Wed 27-Dec-17 17:23:19

but there is always one that we forget that we find about mid-January

Tiggersuki Wed 27-Dec-17 17:23:58

You do not have to go with tradition. This year despite the sparkling cheerful lights mine will be down in a day or two as we are decorating the lounge before we go on holiday. So not only do Christmas decorations have to go but all my ornaments, flower bulbs(7 pots worth to re-site), empty the 2 sideboards to be moved out.....etc etc.....oh for being minimalist which sadly I am not.

Hilos Wed 27-Dec-17 17:30:20

For us the first four Sundays of Advent are traditionally a time of preparation and repentance so decorations don't go up until Christmas Eve. They stay up until 6th Jan when the feast of the three kings or wise men, is celebrated and their figures are moved close to the Christmas crib. This year it all ends with a lovely Epiphany Carol Service followed by a buffet

aggie Wed 27-Dec-17 17:35:48

The battery lights have run out of energy so will take them down tomorrow , OH has been thinking they were on fire , so one less trigger for him . Eldest has his birthday on the 4th Jan and we used to keep decorations up till then

NannyTee Wed 27-Dec-17 17:55:22

I bought a willow tree . Stands about 5ft 6 . Everyone says I should leave it up all year as a lamp. I'm unsure. hmm

OurKid1 Wed 27-Dec-17 18:32:19

I always used to take mine down the day before I went back to work in a school and have a good hoover through. This year the DGS, DS and DDIL are visiting on 1st Jan. Decorations will definitely be down the day after. Then I shall buy some daffs to remind me that spring is coming. Not grumpy as someone else said, just itching to tidy up properly.

NannyTee Wed 27-Dec-17 18:34:14

I love the Spring time