Well -- in Scotland -- ((my mum is from a small town not far from Prestwick)) -- all of the holiday trimmings HAD to be stowed by January 6th (Twelfth Night) or bad luck would follow!

BUT the house HAD to be made ready (cleaned, tidied -- and more food and baking LOL!) for Hogmany or New Year's Eve -- a big party night there! And the first "foot" in the door HAD to be a dark-haired man (a stranger to the household -- or someone who did not live there) who brings bread, whiskey, coal for the continuing good luck and fortunes of the whole house! Years and years ago -- mum said that parties of young guys would bring their dark-haired friend from door-to-door --- in order to toast the household and then get drinks and lots of food! What a party! LOL!

We are heading out to a restaurant BUT -- what luck! -- one of our friends has dark hair! So he can First Foot us for the New Year!

We tend to start putting things away completely (inside and outside lights etc.) by January 1st or 2nd. Depending on plans and schedules -- of course! This year we didn't put up a tree -- and I've already stored one of the inside wreaths. I'll leave up my half-basket by the front door -- fill it with pinecones for the cooler months.

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

I always take down everything on New Years day. I like to keep it up as long as possible and packing everything away on the first day of the new year signals that the old year is gone and time to start anew.

Ours is the same as yours. We put our tree up and decorate for Christmas the Thanksgiving weekend. I love the weeks preceeding the holiday because, to me, that's when I really get the holiday spirit. After Christmas I feel almost a bit "deflated". I love your analogy about "once the holiday passes a decorated tree always seems to be like a lady dressed in party finery the day after the soiree is over.". That is exactly how I feel and have felt for years. DH says, "Once it's over, it's over."
I was planning on taking down the tree and un-decorating the house yesterday but I threw my back out so it will have to wait until this week to get done (come on, hurry up, work this old kinked back out!).

I started decorating before Thanksgiving. Tree was up when we had our early Tday - 11/15. It was never fully decorated; never had time. All we did were glass balls; no Hallmark ornaments.

I wanted to take the tree down yesterday; also thinking of doing it today. Now that hubby's done with treatments; I have a few days to work on neglected stuff. Soon enough it will be more appointments for him & tax time; I have a huge pile of medical bills to enter into the tax database.

Guess I better get busy with the tree. lol

This year the fresh tree went up the Monday after Thanksgiving. It's time to get her undressed. I think I'll leave the lighted deer in the backyard through January and maybe the lighted garland and wreath out front until after New Year's.

I don't start until after my son's birthday on the 15th, and we take it down on New Years, or thereabouts. I'm always glad that we started this tradition, because the kids knew what would happen when, he got his birthday as a separate special day, and as no one in our house watches sports on TV, we've got a something to do after watching the Rose Parade. (I sound like my own granny--"a day without a plan is wasted".)

My daughter's birthday is on Dec. 2nd, so like ideefixe we always waited until after her birthday to put up the tree. They last few years with the kids in college we didn't get it up until they came home for winter break so that they could help decorate. This year we had NO kids at home. My youngest son is studying abroad in Spain this year, and my daughter had the week off work so we bought her a ticket to visit him. (and I made it through my first Christmas without stockings without crying!) But I digress. We actually cheated and put the tree up (our first artificial tree ever) before DD's birthday, but didn't decorate it until the weekend after. I like having it up for New Year's eve, and will take it down on New Year's day.

Ours is also a "Publix Tree". It went up the Sunday after Thanksgiving and will come down on New Years Day. It lost very few needles so far.

I'm ready for it to be gone now, but I keep snapping my fingers and its still there...

ML

Maddie let me know how that snapping goes...I've been trying myself and must be doing it wrong because the trees are still up :oP

New Years for me as well. We have one fake and two live trees so I'll be a busy girl taking them all down. The artifical one though I'm going to keep totally decorated and wrap in plastic then tuck in the wine room :) SOOOO much easier!

I actually dreamed about where to put the ornaments last night, so it must be getting to be about that time but I was happy the house was still decorated when 22 suprise guests stopped by LOL

We keep things up until Epiphany (Jan. 6th), although DH loves to point out that with the Gregorian calendar, it is actually on January 19th-not that he wants to keep the decorations up-he just wants to give me a hard time when I explain why I don't want them down at New Year's. I do love the lights! Also, I take the bows off the wreaths and leave them up into February-it's the druid in me.

Decorations go up no earlier than one week before Christmas. Anything "Christmas" has to be down before New Year's Day. Outdoors the winter green is pots stay until spring. My collection of hand-carver snowmen look like winter rather than Christmas, so it stays until I start itching for spring.

We decorated early this year (the weekend right after Thanksgiving) and it's been fun to have the house looking so festive. Usually, I postpone, and it feels more like a chore...

Take-down is always New Years day, or this year, New Year's weekend.

Everything in the house came down today except the 4' artificial tree in the dining room. Replaced the Christmas decorations with Mardi Gras lights and beads. So it's up until Fat Tuesday.

The Christmas spirit really hits me Christmas day and the week after.

Since I have a new tree I was antsy to put up, I had the men do it on Thanksgiving.

Today I took down most of the accessories except for the swags, mantel decor, and my tree. They'll stay up unti the weekend.

I have just fallen in love with my white tree. I'm going to miss it. lol. We find ourselves just standing there and looking at it every time we walk by. I love big, bushy, thick white trees with lots of colorful glass ornaments! I've only waited most of my life for this so I'm going to enjoy it.

OTOH, we used to have real trees before my son became allergic to evergreen pollen, and I could NOT wait to throw that thing out after Christmas because of the fire hazzard.

Everything goes up on November 30 (my daughter's birthday) and comes down on January 1. I have no trouble finding helpers on November 30 but January 1 is a different story!

I put my decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving. Any Christmas decorations up prior to Thanksgiving weekend make we want to just vomit and rip my hair out and run screaming from the site of the travesty.

I personally keep my decorations up until the weekend after New Years. I have a post-holiday party the weekend after New Years and take the decorations down during the hangover the day after. Or the hair of the dog gets me through.

I love a decorated holiday home, but I really, really HATE decorating for Christmas. I mean, I despise it, and if it were up to me alone, it wouldn't happen at all. But this year I surprised myself and actually got up the decor early (for me) in mid December. I usually put up 2 artificial trees the week before Christmas, but this year I did just the small one in the front room and a tiny, tiny one in the family room. I only emptied a couple boxes instead of the 8 or 9 I usually have to do!

We never did get our outdoor decor up...but DH managed to put up his blow up snowman and he found a lighted grapevine wreath in the garage attic he hung up. We had an artic blast around the time we did the decor, and were too cold to go outside much!

I usually take the trees down the day after Christmas, mainly because the dogs & cats get to the trees too much. But this year I'm keeping it up till New Years weekend because my Mom will be stopping by this week, and she didn't get attend our Christmas dinner.

Though this year I have to admit, my living room decor looked the best I think it's looked. I'll have to take a picture so I can remember how to do it again!

We never put up Christmas decorations before the middle of December. Thanksgiving is still fall, and putting up Christmas then just seems like rushing the winter and not enjoying the late fall. For me, it takes away from the special feeling that comes closer to Christmas.

Tree stays up until mid-January, because winter weather and January in particular are so gloomy. I love the soft white sparkle of the tree and the happy feeling of the cheery holiday decs.

In years past the tree and holiday decorating were dismantled by me on NYE. Last year the tree stood till the end of January. I loved coming downstairs early in the a.m. while it is still dark, that first cup of coffee alone by the lit tree. I guess I am just becoming a procrastinator?

I envy all of you that have it done already! I am not looking forward to that job.

Happy New Year!

I was able to get almost everything down & put away yesterday. Of course I forgot my 2 little deer; but that's ok, I enjoy looking at them. Almost left the tree outside; but that box is the main one on the floor, 2 other trees get stacked on top of it; then the many Rubbermaid containers. I did leave the wreath on the door.

When I went downstairs I was greeted by leaking basement walls. Guess it was a good thing I did this yesterday. My son & I were able to move stuff away from the walls.. thankful it was just wet and not flooded.

Funny I saw this thread today. We *just this morning* took down the garland around the door b4 the wind did it for us. We're having app. 40 mph gusts here and watching "snow devils" swirl around the back yard. I never got a chance to put up the wreathes I bought this year (too cold for Command hooks to stick and I was afraid to put a nail in the vinyl siding). Now I'm wondering if I can ever hang *anything* (maybe a heavy plaque? but not a light wooden one) even on our porch the way the sides of the garland (2 wound together with lights and pine cuttings a la zipdee) were blown around. One day my planter filled with branches blew over too, and that's right against the house. At least the rocking chair hasn't blown away LOL.

Anyway, DH likes the tree up until New Yrs but I'm trying to talk him into taking it down today so kids have more room to play in the FR. DN is coming over again this AM, leaving town tomorrow.

Oh, roselvr, I just saw your post! Rain there? Frozen ground? What's causing the leak? Hope it's minor.

We usually put our fresh Christmas tree up two weekends before Christmas. It always stays up until after New Years Day. My Mom always had to take the tree down on NYD and I hated it. Why ruin a holiday with work? We will take the tree down this weekend, I think.

The tree usually goes up around Dec. 10, no special reason. It stays up until at least Jan. 7 because in addition to "regular" Christmas, we also celebrate Armenian Christmas on Jan. 6.

I have to admit one year I was lazy and the (artificial) tree was still up going into February. So we took off some ornaments and my DDs made some Valentine's ornaments and we had a Valentine's Day tree!

It strikes me as strange when trees are taken down before New Year's. It seems to me that New Year's is part of the season so the tree should still be around!

Nicole

Thanksgiving is still fall, and putting up Christmas then just seems like rushing the winter and not enjoying the late fall.

That made me smile. Here in south Louisiana our fall just began a few weeks ago. We get the occasional freezing temps, but hardly ever a 'real' winter ... and that light snowfall we had earlier in the month doesn't count, lol.

Our tree is still up, but I'm thinking of getting it the heck out of the family room, pronto.

Our new cat has decided that it's fun to climb. She didn't try that until a few days ago. I'd read that they settle down after it's been in place for a while. Mine didn't read the memo.

We had a tree up one year until February as well. It was in my office and decorated with snowmen, so I figured it could stay decorated since it didn't scream Christmas.

Well, I called our breeder to put a deposit on a summer puppy. She sadly informed me that she was no longer breeding for summer puppies, but had a yellow pup that she was thinking of keeping for breeding. Luckily she had a subsequent litter with a black male which she wanted more and offered me her "special yellow boy". Yep, I wanted that boy! Picked him up that following Saturday in the snow.

I was working full time and had one day to get all of the remaining holiday stuff put away for the arrival of our new pup, who is now a gorgeous 5 yr. old yellow labrador!

No pup this year:( but the trees are all coming down long before February hits!

Water is due to the bad snow we got in South Jersey a week ago. We then got rain Christmas night on top of close to 3 feet of snow.

Pesky - Out of curiosity, and really none of my business, but why do you hate decorating for Christmas? Just the hassle of it all? My Mom is at the point where she doesn't put anything up anymore except a tiny, and I mean tiny, tree.

Ours goes up Black Friday and last year (1st) took it down New Years Day. This year I might wait longer since I'm not tired of looking at it yet.

I usually get all the Christmas decorations out the weekend after Thanksgiving and put most of it up then.

I should've started the un-decorating process over the weekend. I was so worn out from the preparations that I just sat around. We still have presents all over the place. I had to come into work this week, so it will just have to wait till this weekend.

This year is the first year I wasn't excited or inspired to decorate for the holidays. From the beginning, I was dreading taking it all down and putting it all away...

Similar to what Teacats said, the 12 days of Christmas just begin on the 25th. According to my faith tradition (Catholic) the season ends on Epiphany, which is January 6. The "Cultural Christmas" begins around Halloween now with carols blasting through the stores, & is supposed to end promptly on Dec. 25 to make way for Valentine's Day merchandise. We can get brainwashed by retailers who now dictate the timing of holidays. Just say no! It's still Christmas. Really.

We usually put ours up around my birthday, which is December 11th. We have left it up until Epiphany in the past, but tend to take it down sooner these days. In fact, we finished taking down the inside today but the outside lights are still up.

Oh, and the tree on the deck has become a haven for the birds, so it will stay up until all the needles drop!

...the 12 days of Christmas just begin on the 25th. According to my faith tradition (Catholic) the season ends on Epiphany, which is January 6.....It's still Christmas. Really.

Beautifully written. And how ironic when I wrote above that I only start to get the Christmas Spirit on the 25th and the week after?

I wake up every morning and turn the tree and mantel lights on and stay in the mood.

I think a lot of the problem is people, including myself, are putting their trees up way too soon. When I was growing up and until about 10 years ago, I would put the tree up on the 15th. Now that most people are putting it up Thanksgiving weekend, by the time Christmas arrives, they're sick of the decorations.

Which means they need to get a white tree! lol.

Shee...the reason I hate decorating for Christmas is that I have no talent WHATSOEVER for decorating a tree. I mean, I can screw it up so badly and it's embarassing! So I try to put it off. I do pretty good with the other decorating, I can excell at a tablescape...just don't do well with trees and garlands.

I do have a weakness for well decorated places...and I love-love-love shopping for decorations, just would love it if someone would go thru my stash and do it for me.

I'm anxiously scanning this thread for an excuse to not take the trees down tomorrow...I don't think I'll be able to get away with Armenian Christmas....so I'm going for the twelth night gig!

(DH is leaving and it's tough to take a tree down, let alone four with the help of a four year old...so I do it during nap time and he won't nap for 12 hours tomorrow so....) HAPPY ARMENIAN TWELTH NIGHT TO ALL!!!!

I wonder what my excuse will be on easter....heh heh

I'm taking down the decorations today. Why today? It's not after the Epiphany, it's not starting the year fresh...it's because my visiting 2 year old niece is out seeing other relatives today and I won't be subjected to her "help". Perfect day to be dragging boxes up and down from the basement, etc.

The bad thing is I'm working in the living room while my husband is watching tv. I hate the sound of any football game and he's watching something called Red Zone (?),which flips back & forth showing plays from all the NFL games. OMG! It's football for people with A.D.D. Ten seconds here, ten seconds there. To me, it's one of Dante's circles of hell.

Is having to listen to that my punishment for un-decorating without my willing but not very able 2 yo helper?

One year for my sister's birthday gift, I took down her tree and packed up all the decorations because she really hated that part. Her bday is in April. Yes, April. She had her (fake, obviously)tree up, fully decorated in her formal living room so it wasn't in the way.

LMAO Hhierno the football hall of hell sounds well...hell! I prefer to undecorate with the final cup of eggnog or wasil and christmas music for the last time...not football from the years gone by!

But I'd take that over the 2 year old anyday LOL I am sending DH off to the airport tonight and will begin removing the holiday decor tomorrow but it will all be done during nap time. My willing 4 year old is a nightmare of extra helping hands...I think he has 9 of them!

We put our tree up right after Thanksgiving also (first of the following week) and by a day or two after Christmas I am ready for it all to come down. Although I love the lights and am a bit sad to see them go, we are ready. I am ready to jump into the new year, looking ahead to plans, upcoming events, vacations, etc. Wanting to get on with some projects.

White trees are pretty in other's homes, but I do not want one myself.

I tend to think of the holiday season as a whole - from Thanksgiving to New Years, although we do celebrate each separately, and never, ever put up our tree, etc. until AFTER Thanksgiving.

Even though we have warm weather often through Thanksgiving, fall decorations (outside) go up late October and come down right after Thanksgiving.

tina

Tina, I have to admit this was the first year I'd seen a white tree. I think a couple people had them here.

Back in the early 60s I envied the silver aluminum tree (with color wheel) at my cousins' house. I'm glad my mom never caved in to my pleadings. She did indulge my fascination with a blue theme one year. The tree was green, but the decorations were all blue. To this day I still can't believe she did that.

That reminds me of the year in the 60's, my father, who never had any interest in decorating before or after, brought home a PINK flocked Christmas tree. My mother was horrified. We used it one year, then donated it to the church, who graciously used it one year, never to be seen after that.

I just finished taking the decorations off the tree and since I'm home alone and wanted to get it out to the curb I cut off all the large branches to make it easier to carry. I think I'll do that every year- it really reduced the amount of needles that fall off from trying to fit it through the doorway. When we first bring the tree inside it's still in the netting so that's easy. But after the tree has been up for two weeks it gets much rounder!

So I'm taking a little break before I start packing up the other decorations.

My stuff is down and stored... now my house looks naked.

Can't win.

ML

Wednesday is the day since mom is likely to come over and I can probably trick her into hanging out for a while...or lock her in the basement with DS

Oh poop I forgot she reads this stuff....

igloo, I am giving you an official time out. Good night and go to bed! NOW!

natal, that is one sweet picture, so typical of those years. You reminded me that I must raid my mom's picture box.

All trees have been put away as well as the Byers Choice carollors of which I have waaay too many. Today will be attacking the rest of the house for missed items. Dining room and remaining garlands. Ugh, it will be another PIA day, but Christmas is over and time to get into the swing of the New Year. Besides, taking down the tree gave me a good excuse to thoroughly clean the LR as well as the rest of the house,

Have to agree, the house does seem a bit "stark" at the moment, but DH is whistling with happiness. You name the tune with the word "happy" in it, he whistled it yesterday. For my DH the day the Christmas stuff comes down is the happiest day of the year!

Did you know that those little night-light bulbs that are used in the candles in the window smash into a thousand pieces when the candle falls off the window sill? I know it the hard way and refresh my memory of it at least once every year.

I can't understand how a bulb that small breaks into so many pieces. I swear I swept up the equivalent of a full sized light bulb from one tiny 4 watt candle bulb - and still found a piece glistening on my yoga mat when I unrolled it.

Some people around here (eastern PA) keep them up all year and I can understand why. It's so pretty and welcoming. My house seems to dark & dreary once they are down. I've known people who have electric outlets placed below each window so they don't have to run extension cords. I've also seen, at a store but never IRL, an electric dock like system that is built into the window and then the candle slides into it. For the truly hard-core candle fan I guess.

I limit myself to candles, with their magical exploding and expanded bulbs, from the Saturday after Thx until whenever I get around to taking them down in January.

Mitch, I found so many similar ones when I went through my mom's albums a couple months ago. Everyone dressed up for holiday visits ... especially back in the 40s & 50s.

HHireno, someone who used to post here had those hardwired window candles installed in her home.