That's the dilemma of Christmas decorations, isn't it?
When should you put them up?
When should you take them down?
And actually, it doesn't matter when
you put up your decorations --
the problem with decorating
is always the same!
The bigger issue, it seems to me,
is when do you take down
your Christmas decorations?
Sometimes the issue
is who can take down
the decorations for you?
Back in the day,
Her Royal Highness the Cat
was always happy to help out.
But, in pre-HRH days --
One year, I didn't take down
my Christmas tree until JUNE.
In my defence, I was a young lawyer
run off my feet in private practice
and just didn't have time for
anything except work.
When was the latest date
you've waited to take down
Christmas decorations?
* * * or * * *
When was the earliest date
you've ever put up
Christmas decorations?
Tell all in the comments!
I put them up after a family birthday in mid December, out of respect to the birthday, fair's fair, since it's mine (!). Down again on twelfth night, Little Christmas, aka January 6. Done.
ReplyDeleteMy neighbors all decorate v for Diwali in late November and leave the lights till the HOA makes them stop!
They go up the week before Christmas. They come down no later that Jan 6th.
ReplyDeleteLOL- OMG- How funny. I usually wait until Thanksgiving night-after the feast-to start decorating. This year I put my outside lights up before Thanksgiving because we had a warm spell. However, I did NOT turn them on until the day after Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving (states) is always the fourth Thursday in November so varies from year to year.
ReplyDeleteI usually take them down by the second week in January...but turn the outside lights off and leave the greens up until it is warmer (late Feb-March)? I wait until there is no snow on them....lol.
I am proud to say that this year I went through about FORTY PLUS bins of Christmas I have collected for about 40 years and divided stuff up for each kid. I now have bins left for the stuff I am keeping (about 8 or 9 bins) and they are labeled and organized. Please send me a medal! lol
Have a wonderful Holiday Season, my friend! Love to you- Diana
Medal is in the mail! Expect some delay due to seasonal high mail volume. (!) timberdawn
DeleteVery late in November is usually the earliest any decor starts. But when I was working full time, it would often be in the second week of December. The latest to put things away would be just after New Year's. Husband's parents used to put up the tree a day or so before Christmas and start putting stuff away on the 26th! -Jenn
ReplyDeleteOne year my parents tree stayed up till Easter. All the needles fell off as it was stuffed out a window.
ReplyDeleteI'm a traditionalist, and also think it brings good luck, so I always hold off decorating until the Day After Thanksgiving, and sadly take them down New Year's Day because I hate to see them go.
ReplyDeleteWe're/I'm pretty strict about it ... the decorations go up the Saturday after Thanksgiving--though we missed that this year because we were gone for the weekend, and put them up a week late--and we take them down, without fail, the first weekend after New Years.
ReplyDeleteNever before Thanksgiving and never after the first week of January - that way you never have to dust them.
ReplyDeleteI don't have to worry about any of this. I do not celebrate Christmas. Have a great day today.
ReplyDeleteI’m not much of a rebel when it comes to Christmas decorations. Earliest up maybe 1st week of December. Latest down maybe 1st week of January. (I never want anyone to compare to Mariah Carey.)
ReplyDeleteInside decorations - day after Thanksgiving is earliest to put them up, one year I never did get them up. I take them down on New Year's day or within a day or two of that. Now that I'm retired, I still stick with a similar schedule, but spread it out over a few days.
ReplyDeleteOutside decoration are more variable due to weather. I think this year was the earliest DH put the lights up, the day before Thanksgiving. I think late January was latest to take them down.
I don't mind when people put decorations up in early-mid November, or take them down in early spring. Some people have a lot to put up, or have to pace themselves. Sometimes ice & snow rule the schedule. But when they are lit up before Thanksgiving or after the first week of January, they cease to be a big deal. Especially the ones that are lit for 3 months.
I like HRH's help with the decorations, we live that with two fur girls.
ReplyDeleteUsually I begin with the Christmas inside decorations on December 1st, but this year I started on First Advent Sunday. I just couldn't face trying to do it all in one day. Outside stuff was put up but not turned on November 12th. The taking down of inside decorations is of yearly discussion; I want down by December 31st, he wants up until twelve night ... some years I win, some years he wins. :)
I put them up the first week or so of December and leave them up until January 6th. It is fun to see the lights go up around the neighborhood and helps me get in the mood for the holidays! Love your jokes!
ReplyDeleteI took down the Christmas tree on Christmas day one year. Nobody was around and I was by myself, why not?
ReplyDeleteDec 24th, "Do you think we ought to get the tree out of the basement?" "Yeah, but we'll just leave the box in the corner for the 26th".
ReplyDeleteProcrastination IS the key to time management.
Tinsel Tits... hahahahahaha!
Here on the Canadian prairies, almost everyone who decorates with outdoor lights installs them in early October before the snow flies, but don't turn them on until late November. I appreciate neighbours who leave their Xmas lights up because it makes the dark, cold 74 day long month of January much less dreary!
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, I put up my 4 foot Christmas tree on an antique table and wrapped the base in an antique white lace tea cloth and decorated it with small clear fairy lights & beautiful blue, silver and grey blown glass ornaments. It was so lovely and work was so stressful at the time that I left it up for 2 years, despite all the strange looks and snarky comments I received from restaurant delivery guys, LOL!
I think from 1st of December is fine. It is the silly season
ReplyDeleteMy parents always brought in our Christmas tree freshly dug from the garden on Christmas Eve, and my brothers and myself decorated it before going off to bed. It was then taken down by 12th night.
ReplyDeleteNot me, but a bunch of friends.
ReplyDeleteThey threw a bug watch party for the final MASH episode (February 28, 1983) and after it finished we took their (tinder dry!) tree out to the firepit in the back yard with great pomp and baging on drum-like objext and made up song, and ceremoniously set it alight.
It went from a flickering flame to raging conflagration with 15' foot flames in about 15 seconds. Their mood changed abruptly when they realized it could have been inside the house...I'll wager no one who was thwere has ever let the tree go that long again...
And between the 'potential raging inferno' and feline and canine 'help' with decorations we've pretty much given up on decorating.
But I"m goona remember 'tinsel tits' (in Jerry Stiller's voice, natch!)
This year was the earliest we've ever decorated (the first weekend of November) but the hubby was out of town and the BFJ offered to come help me so I wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth.
ReplyDeleteUntil about 8 years ago, we always started decorating the day after Thanksgiving, then started de-decorating the day after New Year's day. Then, when we started going to CT to have Turkey Day with the BFJ and their clan, we started decorating the weekend before Thanksgiving (so it was done for when we got home.)
I have a feeling this is the last year we go all out. We're getting older, and the holiday is getting simpler and we may transition to a few simple decorations, one or two gifts, and leave it at that. We shall see.
I do think it's funny (ridiculous) how people get so worked up about people decorating early or de-decorating late. Honestly, do whatever makes you happy and screw anyone who doesn't like it. I'd rather see Christmas/holiday lights and decorations up all year round then see a single T*** flag up even a single day. There are worse things in the world to deal with than a few colored lights up "too long." Geez.
But don't get me started on those damn Halloween nuts *smirk*
Sassybear
https://idleeyesandadormy.com/
June, that's a hoot.
ReplyDeletePretty much the same here each year. Right after Halloween, Christmas goes straight up. We take them down whenever though. One year, I took them down that Christmas. We were done. Other years they stay longer. It's funny because right now, the snug is all Christmas and so are other areas and I cannot even imagine them coming down. Then we both just wake up one day and we're like, "I could be done."
Haha!, Debra My Christmas tree has been sitting in its stand for four days waiting for its lights. Now it's probably going to be tomorrow before I get the lights on. The latest I've left ours up was early February. My youngest sister showed up to do a workshop with me at a conference, and she was horrified to see our tree still gracing the living room. Our conference was wiped out by a blizzard, and she and Terry ganged up on me and took the tree down. I was horrified, in turn, at the heaped up, unsorted pile of ornaments and lights. I'm OCD about how they are sorted and put away. Taking the tree down happened faster when our trees were real because of the fire danger. I usually have our tree up through "Old Christmas." Then Terry and I start arguing because I love the Christmas tree We're leaving for Hawaii on January 10th, and it will have to be down by then ~ lol!
ReplyDeleteThinking about doing up my Christmas Cards.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
No offense, and i love and appreciate the decorations, but i just don't do it. It is not something i do. But i do enjoy the decorations. Merry Christmas and Happy Festivus. It is a strange holiday, me personally am still not sure about this whole christianity thing.
ReplyDeleteI leave one sting of blinking multicolored tree lights up in my living room all year. It's been up for five or six years, I think. It's cheery to my heart to have a string of blinking lights (I have clinical depression), and it's kind of like a night light for the downstairs. Since they are the small LED bulbs, it uses very little electricity, or at least that's what I tell myself.
ReplyDeleteI'll try to put them up right after American Thanksgiving and take them down shortly after New Year's
ReplyDeleteI have one daughter who used to leave the tree up year round and just changed the decorations according to the season. Fake eggs and bunnies for Easter, bats and skeletons for Halloween, then back to Christmas.
ReplyDeleteAlways the Saturday after thanksgiving up.
ReplyDeleteAlways when the husband took all 4 kids to the New Year’s Day rose parade, down.
Now….whenever.
One year I didn't take the tree down until easter, earliest up would be about the middle of November.
ReplyDeleteI don't put them up at all, but like seeing them in December. LOL, I ignore them in any other month.
ReplyDeleteWe don't celebrate Christmas. We celebrate winter Solstice. My wife took down our Halloween decorations the day after Thanksgiving and the next day decorated for winter Solstice. They will stay up through the dark days of winter and she will replace them with spring decorations in time for spring Equinox. Our house is always decorated for the season.
ReplyDeletethe Ol'Buzzard
No matter where I've lived, no decorations are ever up before the second week of December. The latest is always the week after New Year's Day....it's time by then.
ReplyDelete"Tinsel Tits" 😳😜
ReplyDeleteJUNE? Ok, I'll let you slide.
Once when I was about 10, I put our tree up in October. Of course, I got into trouble and had to take it back down.
I've not completely decorated yet, but I usually like to do so just after Thanksgiving and things are removed just after Jan 1 unless we are traveling.
Family started putting them up the day of this comment, and they usually come down a few days after the big event.
ReplyDeleteAnd please, don't get me started about the sappy commercial Christmas music. I rather listen to what they play on college radio, much more meaningful and heartfelt.
Oh and for those who really want it all shades of movie ratings, check out SomaFM on your favorite browser/phone. They got all types of Xmas music.
My one and only plug for something I think everyone can enjoy. Thanks!
It seems the Christmas stuff goes up later each year with temptations not to do it at all.
ReplyDeleteI like to keep things up for Epiphany but Someone believes things should be down by 1 January.
College radio plays the best music. I love my local station. Utah Public Radio. They might be a little too leftist for some folks, but they bring the good sounds.
ReplyDeleteHAHA! These are great. We typically take down our Christmas tree by mid January but we've been known to do it later. When we were living in Kingston, one year we left our outdoor lights up until the end of February. And turned them on every evening. I can just imagine what the neighbours were saying. HAHA
ReplyDeleteYou really hit a hot spot with this one, Debra!
ReplyDeleteNot being christian, I don't care when the decorations go up or come down. Some years I don't bother with a tree but I always have outdoor, multi-coloured sparkle lights. I keep them up year round because they are cheerful. I've noticed that some of my neighbors are now doing the same thing. It makes the long winter nights less lonely somehow.
I put them up when all the gg's are here and take them down when I'm fucking good and ready..ha..usually before Feb.
ReplyDeleteLatest probably after the Epiphany. Like a day or two. Earliest the 30th of November. Never before.
ReplyDeleteHope to do some Christmas stuff over the weekend...either send out cards or put the tree.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
I walked all the way over here,crunching through dried leaves and cold gusty winds, just to tell that fox news christian lady that she is full of shit. I came here to tell her that she looks just like the other ones. I feel sorry for her husband, but not very much.
ReplyDeleteI think they have lost their souls.
This is our country. We don't need these people.
It used to bother me but now I say "whatever makes you happy"
ReplyDeleteI can little relate to the lovely topic as i would decorate my house on our yearly festival Eid and I would love to have them around until they were damaged or totem
ReplyDelete