Tree House Academy Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 Haha! It is my tradition. We open presents, play a bit, eat lunch, and then I start taking down the decorations all over the house. Everything is down now except the big tree and the little tree in my ds5's room. He has requested that we PLEASE keep those up until after New Year's Day. Poor kid! So...anyone else turn anti-Christmas the minute it is over? I love the holiday and look forward to it, but when it is done, I just can't get the red and green and all the santas out of my house fast enough. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 We leave up til the eighth, dh is Coptic Orthodox and Christmas is the seventh. We leave outside lights up too, and people think we are strange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 LOL. We just barely put them up yesterday (including tree). I think I'll leave them for a while! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 We leave everything up until Epiphany. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelda Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 I have a friend that starts taking hers down while her kids are opening presents. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 We take the decorations down on Twelfth Night. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamom3 Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 including the tree I feel so much better when it is all done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie in WI Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 Our tree has been down for a couple of days, since it fell over as soon as the kids put on the last ornament. I only had to rewrap 2 gifts and let 2 other ones drip dry, from the water in the tree base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 So...anyone else turn anti-Christmas the minute it is over? I love the holiday and look forward to it, but when it is done, I just can't get the red and green and all the santas out of my house fast enough. Do you start Christmas early? We didn't put our tree up until the 21st, so we haven't had time to get tired of it yet. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 We always take ours down New Year's Eve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 Tomorrow is soon enough :-) I had never heard of anyone taking down their Christmas tree ON CHRISTMAS DAY until just the last year or so. I had no idea that anyone did such a thing. Our house has been decorated since Thanksgiving weekend, but even so, I couldn't take it down today. I want to enjoy the moment. Tomorrow is soon enough. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamom3 Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 comes down Christmas morning. This year we put it up the day after Thanksgiving. We had company coming and they wouldn't be here for Christmas. I was so sick of it so it came down at 8am! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 already....I thought people left their decorations up until after New Year's..... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 We normally take it down on Christmas day, but last year I left it up a few days longer and will probably take it down on Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 I don't do decorations all over the house. My decor any time of the year is very minimal, oriented toward natural things and candles, and it reflects the seasons. My primary Christmas decoration is the tree, and no way would I take that down already. The Christmas season extends through Epiphany as far as I'm concerned.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted December 26, 2008 Author Share Posted December 26, 2008 I decorated the house the weekend after Thanksgiving, but we didn't get the tree up until the 15th. However, now everything is down EXCEPT the tree. My little guy is the only reason for that...but I don't mind the tree. It was all of the santa stuff and the snowmen (that I love every day BEFORE Christmas) that just had to go. Tomorrow, I will take down the outside decor and change the flag to reflect "winter." :) Another reason, and probably the BIGGEST reason I take down decorations on Christmas or the day after is because my ds9 goes to be with his dad for a week just after Christmas each year. As much as I am happy that he gets time with his dad, it utterly depresses me if I see Christmas stuff and my ds is not home. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 (edited) My traditional clean-up day is the 26th. That way I'm not so tired and Christmas is officially over (for our family who celebrates it as a gift giving occasion and has nothing whatsoever to do with any religious meanings). The kids even help. :) Edited December 26, 2008 by Night Elf Defining Christmas time for our family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 I have a friend that starts taking hers down while her kids are opening presents. :001_huh: I wanted to do that - dh didn't like the idea:glare: It'll all be gone before lunch tomorrow;), and I'll be doing some super quick winter cleaning this weekend before I start another week of school on Mon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanda Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 Traditionally Christmas goes for 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany.... with the period before not being for Christmas carols but separate Advent songs. I think this would help prevent the burnout that is so common these days. It was the stores and businesses that made Christmas so crazy beforehand even rewriting the meaning of 12 days to being before Christmas. lol. I plan on trying to return to that in the years to come, but in our overly commercialized Christmas world that might not be doable. I am not of a church tradition that formally celebrates this way either but to me it makes much more sense. In any case, we do not take decorations down until after New Years.... after the 12 days and Epiphany. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakeside Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 We wait until Epiphany. This year it might be a bit longer since dh will be out of town for the first 10 days of January. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 We only decorated the tree on the 24th, so we won't take it down until New Year's day or the day after. Dh went to all the trouble of getting the tree, so we like to have it up for at least a week. My family has always been one for putting up the tree very close to Christmas and leaving it up until New Year's. When my sister and I were very little, my parents didn't even put up the tree until after we went to bed on the 24th--we woke up to quite the surprise in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 We will be taking down decorations this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire in NM Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 But we do not have a lot, since our Christmas decorations consist of several miniature nativity scenes and a Christmas tree. But I have a friend who keeps her tree up until February. She is so into decorating her Christmas tree that it actually becomes a work of art and she just can't bring herself to take it down. Claire in NM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylark Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 Not yet, although I feel relief, I like having the decorations around until at least New Year's Day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moira in MA Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 I'm with you there. We only got the tree up yesterday. It will come down on New Year's Day. ~Moira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 It was all of the santa stuff and the snowmen (that I love every day BEFORE Christmas) that just had to go. Well, yeah, as a minimalist I'd go bonkers with that kind of stuff around, so I here ya there.;) Another reason, and probably the BIGGEST reason I take down decorations on Christmas or the day after is because my ds9 goes to be with his dad for a week just after Christmas each year. As much as I am happy that he gets time with his dad, it utterly depresses me if I see Christmas stuff and my ds is not home. :( But...your 5 yo is still around, right? I know you said that's why the tree is still up, but I wonder if it isn't sort of sending him a message ~ "un"decorating so quickly just because your older son is going to be away? Just musing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 We usually leave everything up until the 1st, but we need undecorated pix of the house for the listing so we can sell. We will start taking things down on Sat., but the tree may hang out until the 1st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokyomarie Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 We usually only get decorations up sometime mid-December. No way would I ever take them down on Christmas Day! I always leave them up at least through Epiphany. Depending on how energetic I am, I get them down around that day. But I don't sweat it if they don't come down right then. I actually prefer to have color in the house from the decorations during the dark, dreary days of January. Once the tree and decorations come down, it's a long, slowwww countdown until the warmth of late spring days comes to brighten my days again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 We usually only get decorations up sometime mid-December. No way would I ever take them down on Christmas Day! I always leave them up at least through Epiphany. Depending on how energetic I am, I get them down around that day. But I don't sweat it if they don't come down right then. I actually prefer to have color in the house from the decorations during the dark, dreary days of January. Once the tree and decorations come down, it's a long, slowwww countdown until the warmth of late spring days comes to brighten my days again. We postponed our decorating and shopping until after ER got home from college for the holidays last Thursday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof165 Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 Our Christmas tree and outside decoration will be taken down after Epiphany. Sonja _______________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - DS 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted December 26, 2008 Author Share Posted December 26, 2008 I hadn't really thought of my little one thinking anything of me taking down the decorations. I did leave the tree for him and he doesn't know that the un-decorating has anything at all to do with his brother. I am not 100% sure that it does...just that for me, when Christmas is over, Christmas is over. LOL I too am a minimalist - I can't stand clutter or colors that don't really go together and, unfortunately, Christmas seems to bring out the worst of those two things in my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 I take it down over the two or three days following Christmas. Love Christmas, but once it's over...it's over! Time to move on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 I like to get it down the weekend after Christmas, but I've promised the kids we'll can keep it up this year until the roads are clear and all the presents arrive (we're missing about half the smaller presents, and presents from on of their grandmas). I'm hoping to have everything here Monday, and have it down that night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 Since my kids make me put it all up the day after Thanksgiving (as I was cleaning up from Thanksgiving dinner they took down all my Thanksgiving decorations to make room for Christmas and then wondered why I didn't start hauling out the Christmas stuff from the basement RIGHT THAT MINUTE!!!) I take it down TODAY!!!!!!!!!!! A full month of red/green, of keeping four cats and a Labrador out of the tree, is quite enough for me, thank you very much!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 We keep ours up until New Year's Day or later. DS's birthday is New Year's Eve and he requests it stay up for his birthday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Wisc Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 We celebrate the church year...which means we had Advent the last 4 weeks. Christmas started on Christmas Eve, and we will celebrate the 12days of Christmas--meaning we just STARTED our celebration. Most of December is a time of preparation for the celebration and more importantly, a time of contemplation. So...today is only the 2nd day of Christmas. I'm hoping to go out and decorate the lamp post today, and I just put up the Nativity scene (meant to do it Christmas Eve, but it didn't happen). We will have 10 more days of Christmas. On Epiphany (Jan 6), the tree will come down and the celebration will be done. :) I love it this way. We get all the running around and "busy-ness" done and then we ENJOY Christmas. :)) Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 We leave up til the eighth, dh is Coptic Orthodox and Christmas is the seventh. We leave outside lights up too, and people think we are strange. That's funny about the outside lights. There are people here who leave up their lights most of the year. To the OP: Are you crazy? We just put up our tree! We do all the decorating on Christmas eve, then take stuff down on 12th night. But yes. I'm pretty done by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 I'm itching for it to come down but will wait until New Year's Eve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in PA Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 No way, that would depress me, and the rest of my family too. It would have been build up, build up, build up to Christmas, then bam-- it's over and all gone! It's still Christmas time here, and will be through New Years Day. I usually take down our Christmas decorations on New Years Day or the day after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catalinakel Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 Christmas morning I started singing, "All I want for Christmas is my house cleaned up, my house cleaned up,my house cleaned up..." so it is all coming down today, so we can get back to somewhat normalness around here. I love Christmas, but can't stand the messiness of it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted December 26, 2008 Share Posted December 26, 2008 Christmas ain't over till Epiphany, and no one's gonna make me feel guilty about taking my time and enjoying it. :D Our stuff probably won't even come down till the weekend after Epiphany... too tough to manage mid-week. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 Lord, I didn't get my stuff up until Christmas Eve, LOL - I'm not ready to take it down just yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OH Kim Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 Everything stays up until Theophany - the Eastern Orthodox celebration of Jesus' baptism and the coming of the Holy Spirit - which is the same date as Epiphany (which, I think, is the original meaning of the feast of Epiphany; if any Anglicans or Catholics can confirm this, I'd be grateful!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 Our decorations will be put away before New Year's Eve, so there will be room in the living room for the kids who will be here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle39 Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 My little 4 foot tree was taken down on Christmas in the late afternoon. I usually put up a 10 foot tree, but I just wasn't in the mood for it this year. It took me all of 15 minutes to take the tree down and pack up. We do have some lights in the yard, and we will leave those up through New Year's Day. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 We leave everything up until Epiphany. Same here. Sometimes even longer - :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted December 27, 2008 Author Share Posted December 27, 2008 Well, the big tree went today...with my ds5's permission of course. He scored a cool new toy spaceship with his Christmas cash and he was too occupied to really care when I asked him. ;) The only Christmas thing we have left in the house is the little tree in his room which he insists will stay up until NEXT Christmas (haha...we shall see about that one) and the few little decorations I have on my front porch. I have to change out the flag, put away the trees beside the door, change the door mat, and take down my snowman windsock....then I am FINISHED. Ahhhh...so nice to have my house back to minimal decor and CLEAN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 We don't decorate the tree completely until Christmas Eve. It is part of our celebration. That way, it is always fresh and beautiful on Christmas, and lasts through twelfth night at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay in Cal Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 I like to keep them up until Epiphany--as long as I have an artificial tree. WE have dozens and dozens of individually boxed Hallmark ornaments, all have to be wrapped back in their bubble wrap, put in the appropriate boxes--it takes hours! Not my favorite part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 I would love to, but its too soon for the kids, they would be most unhappy, so they will stay up till after New Year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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