The tree is down. My sister and her family weren’t even ready to pack the car to go home and my husband was carrying out our parched Christmas tree. Once the gifts are opened and A Christmas Story has been aired for the last time, the tree just seems in the way. Not only is it in the way, it’s using up precious room that I could be playing and moving furniture in. This is the part where I question why we weirdos go to so much trouble to bring a half dead tree into our house in the first place. Luckily, I’ll forget this feeling over the next 11 months. I’ve still got lots of Christmas I need to put away but the first thing to go is always the tree. I love to see it come in and I love to see it leave.
What about you? When do you take your tree down?
I read through most of the responses and didn’t see one that mentioned what we do… I take the tree down the day after Christmas every year. We leave up a little metal table top tree and re-decorate that as a New Year’s tree. Out comes the little noisemakers for ornaments and festive, brightly colored leis make the garland and we top the tree with a New Year’s hat. We leave it out as a centerpiece for our very simple, at home celebration on New Year’s Eve. My two little girls are never sad to say goodbye to one holiday because they know the next holiday/season/festivity is right around the corner.
I usually put my tree up in the first 10 days of December. This year, we didn’t put it up until Monday! I am talking the Monday before Christmas! I am keeping it up for another week to enjoy the lights and warm feeling it gives me. Normally I leave it up til after the kid’s first day back to school.
We took the decorations off the tree today. Now all we have to do is find a place to dump the fire hazard! I loved the tree, but I’m ready to move on to some new projects… plus we have another fake tree that I still need to take down. I love Christmas… but I feel like the time for the tree has passed.
I bask in the glow of Christmas for as long as I cn get away with it. The lights from the tree are my secure little blankie that helps me to hold it close. Happy New Year!
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Mine is slowly coming down, but it won’t be all down for a couple of days. There’s no steadfast rule here, just whenever I get around to it, lol.
We take ours down on New Year’s Day. This year, we left off the bottom 1/3 of the tree and made it a table top tree. Perfect for our little house as it doesn’t take up valuable real estate.
Love you blog – you’re one very inspiring person!
Don’t hate on me for having an artificial tree. I’m allergic to evergreens of any kind. That being said, ours is over 10 years old. At one time, it was prelit which was great but I ended up going through it branch by branch about 4 years ago, wire cutters in hand and snipping off all of the old lighting. We were thinking about replacing the brave old soldier this year but decided to hold off for one more year. My aging cat changed our mind. This year, he decided to “grace” our tree with his own personal touch. Yup. He peed on it. Got Mom’s present as well. Thank goodness it was a package of candles in glass containers. Mom didn’t notice but was curious as to why I made her wash her hands after opening it. (And yes, I told her why. No, she didn’t mind-she has a cat herself. Yes, I took the candles out of the box, cleaned up the glass and repacked them for the trip home.)
Now that you have the back story…I *do* take the tree down the weekend after Christmas because I want my space back. Did you know that even fake pine needles are hell on vacuums? This old trooper of a tree came down in record time this year as I didn’t want a repeat performance from said cat. A few ornaments were tossed and the tree made it’s way to the dumpster. I think I heard Taps sounding faintly in the distance as I tossed him in with the rest of the Christmas cast offs. He was a good old tree. I’ll miss him.
He will be replaced with a junior sized version that can be set up on a table next year. (The old cat is too fat to haul himself up anywhere.) Time to hit those Christmas clearance sales now, eh?
We don’t have any Christmas in our house until after Thanksgiving, so I am not quite over it by the 26th. We never make it to Epiphany, though I would like that. Usually we take it down New Year’s Day.
We usually take ours down around New Year’s. I simply have no energy to take it down right after Christmas!
I’m with you 100%! If I wasn’t out of town right now I’d be taking all Christmas decorations down & rearranging my entire house……if I could only paint in between.
I am not alone! I wanted that thing down Saturday but with the hubby back to work, today it is coming down! What could be more fun with three little kids and me? I love to put it up and I love to take it down. I too will leave a few “winter” decorations up.
I usually wait until January 1st. It gives us something to do on New Year’s Day. Plus, I just love my tree. I would keep it up all year if dead trees were not such fire hazards. :)
Some years it is feburary! Love the Christmas decor. But this year, with baby coming in jan, I think we’ll take it down earlier…..just one less thing to do after she comes. But I’m always so sad when it is all down. It is so bare and lonely.
This year our tree came down the day after Christmas because it was dead…like really dead! So dead in fact that we didn’t want to drag it through our apartment, then down the hallway, down the stairs and then through the entry way. So we lowered it out of the window. We live on the second floor and I lowered it out of our balcony down to my husband who was waiting in our apartments garden. :-)
Oh man I get so sad when the Christmas tress has to be taken down! I wait as long as possible! It’s so pretty and makes the house look so warm…once the Christmas stuff goes away I am only left with the cold dreary winter…so I hold off as long as possible.
We wait until Epiphany. I love waiting because it reinforces the reason we celebrate Christmas (Jesus’ birth); it is my favorite time of year; and I love how decorated our house looks. Also, it takes a LONG time to put everything up, I want to enjoy it before I have to take it down!!
Here’s my rule – if the tree starts to need dusting, it has to go!
Nothing is as “over” as Christmas day. My tree has been up since the day after Thanksgiving, since I enjoy the anticipation almost as much as the actual day, so I’m always earger to take it down once Christmas is over.
Happy new year to all of you.
This year I had a fake tree for the first time since I was heavy with child and knew I would probably be too busy with a newborn to mess with taking down a tree the minute Christmas is over…..last year ours was sooo dead and dry by Christmas my husband was hesitant to leave it up through Christmas day.
So now that it is up and pretty and not dead I think I’ll leave it awhile……call me crazy but I’m even thinking of leaving the pink and burgundy balls and adding some other Valentine themed decorations and having a tree into February…..I always host a tea on Valentine’s day and thought it would be a fun surprise for the guest to see a heart themed tree :o)
Like so many others my decorations have only been up for about 2 weeks.
I don’t take mine down until Epiphany.
For all the Bah Humbuggers who think the Christmas season is over, come on over to my blog for a funny daily dose of the 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.
at our church worship team’s Christmas party, we needed an ice-breaker, so we went around a circle and had everyone tell their name and whether they preferred white or colored Christmas lights. like this post, we ended up with a plethora of varieties as answers! and it took a lot longer than expected. we never anticipated people having such strong opinions on the topic! :)
I have 5 trees to take down (all fake) so I can’t imagine doing that so quickly! I usually do them after New Year’s day at some point…..mostly when I have time….but I do like to leave everything up at least till New Year’s Eve, which is coincidentally my birthday……maybe that is why I still want the place decorated! Funny though, once Jan 1 hits, I’m anxious to clean up, start fresh, etc….
The family tree came down yesterday with all the living room things. I will take down the one in the Kitchen today and New Years take the one on the sunporch. Now i must find things to decorate my new mantle now that Christmas stuff is on the way out!
Wow, a hot topic, huh?
We keep our tree (artificial) up through New Year’s, but, I gotta say, I start itching to take it all down on Dec 26th. To scratch that itch, I start recycling Christmas cards, etc on that day.
My husband really likes the tree up through New Years, and he asks for so little, I try to honor this for him.
I’d love to take it down Christmas night, but I wait until Boxing Day. lol.
We have it up REALLY early, so when everything is “over” I want it DOWN!
I put it up just before Thanksgiving and take it down New Years weekend – usually New Years Day. I love the tree, but by New Year’s I’m ready for it to go away and I need the space in my tiny house.
It’s funny but I am listening to a Christmas CD as I read your blog today. Around here Christmas is a season, not just a day. Our tree definitely stays up till New Years, often till Epiphany (Jan. 6th). It’s time for ‘Scrooge Duty’ as I call it after that.
LOL-I’m getting a bit of a giggle here about the strong opinions regarding “Christmas” trees. Just to balance the scales a bit-bringing evergreen indoors during the Winter Solstice is and was a Pagan practice, predating Christianity itself by thousands of years. It was strongly frowned on in the US as little as 150 years ago as being heretical. It has nothing to do with the practice of Christianity whatsoever.
So, really, there is no “correct” way to honor your religious belief with a tree…unless you’re a practicing Pagan.
Now, if you really don’t like the way the house looks bare after the tree departs, this seems like a GREAT time to get out colorful decorations that can cheer you up during the grey and dreary months that the year always starts out with.
My birthday is exactly 2 weeks after Christmas – I’ve ALWAYS had my tree down before then, but because I typically spend the week before Christmas at my parents’ house, I usually want it up until at least New Year’s. Doesn’t seem like I’ve had a chance to enjoy it yet! But, I got home last night and was super antsy about getting out rearranging and the Christmas stuff seemed in the way. I think it will come down early this year!
I am like you and decorate the day after Thanksgiving, as I do think that they are two separate holidays and it drives me crazy when I go to homes that are decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Around here no one really waits until December 1st that I know of. ;)
As for taking the decorations down, I wait until New Years Day. I can’t imagine celebrating New Year’s eve without the glow of the Christmas lights. Not as festive and fun in my opinion but that is just me. I also have a large loft that my tree goes on though, so it isn’t crowding anything. I may feel differently if I couldn’t move around freely with the tree up. =) I also have mini trees (a pink one in my 6 year old daughter’s room!) that I don’t take down until that day. I just remove other stuff and put it in the seasonal closet where the decorations would go to prevent too much clutter. ;)
~Jennifer S. in Good ‘Ole Texas
I can totally relate to cleaning up Christmas soon after – I love the clean slate of a new year approaching and seeing my home in a new light with new possibilities for decor. We do leave our tree up for my daughter’s birthday, but it undergoes a transformation as we take down ALL the Christmas ornaments and make it into her “birthday tree.” For her first birthday we had an angel theme with antique ribbons and angel ornaments, then a retro 40′s storybook theme, last year princesses, and this year polka dots – just ribbons and balls. I will look forward to taking it all down – dropping pine needles and all – in a few days, but for now it’s a fresh look and a happy day.
I love the feeling of the holidays and the week between Christmas and New Years is always a major part of the holidays to me. I’m a stay at home homeschool mom, so that’s probably part of it, but I’ve always loved this week! I still like to sit by the fire and read and continue to enjoy hot drinks and good movies. All the hustle and bustle is over and now I can REALLY relax. The Christmas “stuff” is just so homey…I like the week to enjoy it! I especially like the tree lit up on New Year’s Eve. I will even enjoy it on New Years Day, while lounging in jammy pants and watching football (or laptopping while the fam watches) and eating black eyed peas…I’m southern! Then, the next day, it’s a new year and fresh start…away it all goes!
all down and done with. I too have 8 tubs. One is huge, filled with 3 table top trees and misc. I have to wait for assistance to cart that one to the basement. Once the gifts are unwrapped I am so over the holiday. Still have just a tiny bit of bling to bring in the new year. Make it a good one!!!
Wow! I was surprised to hear how many people get their decorations down so soon after Christmas! I keep mine up until after New Years, it’s like wiping down the slate, and starting new. Plus, I figure if I go through all the trouble, they might as well stay up for a full month! LOL.
I told Em that we once kept up a tree until April. A real one. Until April. Don’t judge me. And to make up for my insanity, here’s a link to a Jim Gaffigan (one of my favorite comedians) bit about Christmas traditions. Hilarious. Forgive the creepy Halloween part. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dwpY9a1-aI
So like you, once Christmas is over the tree and decorations are just messy to me! So, all things were packed away Sunday morning. See ‘ya next year Christmas!
We celebrate a Christian Christmas which means Christmas starts Christmas Eve and continues for 12 days. The tree then goes down with another celebrations with pizza when it is all put away.
Many people do the tree like the commercial stores. Something has gotten lost in the meaning I feel.
We put up our decorations on December 1st, and get our live tree the first weekend of December. I like to have our tree gone on the 26th, but a death in the family this year has caused me to leave it up, but it’s coming down tomorrow! I also like to de-clutter and deep clean the house the week before the new year…it feels great to go into a new year with a clean and organized home!
What a gorgeous room that is! We usually wait till after New Year’s to take ours down. i’m ready to put mine away now LOL
I’m a leave-it-upper, but with a 2-year-old that just can’t get enough of everything from advent calendars to candy canes to baby Jesus, I think it’s about time to “strike the set” (theater reference for those who don’t know!).
I am SHOCKED absolutely shocked at how many people are just DYING to get the tree down and have Christmas be OVER with!! That is SO sad to me!!! I Love everything about Christmas, not only the decor but the happy spirit that resides in my home all season. It’s a wonderful time that honestly, when you live in a state that can get pretty dreary sometimes until march, I hold on to for as LONG as possible. I know I am on the crazy long side of things…becuase I HAVE left my tree up until easter, when I DID put pink and purple hydrangeas all over in it! (only once..but still!) I have put red valentines on at Valentines as well! haha! I spend literally DAYS getting my decor set up with thousands of lights…and the ambiance it lends to my rooms makes the winter blues go away for me! I HATE dark dreary winter, and Christmas is the ONLY bright spot of it for me. SO I will listen to Christmas music, keep my tree lit, and enjoy the happy place it creates for as long as I can! PERIOD! I absolutely LOVE Christmas music!
I am so with you on this and the post above …. love the tree up and love it gone too … I am doing our tomorrow so we start the new year fresh as a daisy … best for 2010 – le
Our tree stays up until New Years. I adore Christmas so much that I want to squeeze those few extra days out of the season! But since we go to a Christmas Conference for ministry that starts New Years day, and we don’t come back until a week and a half into January, it technically stays up longer…though we aren’t here to see it. And I am 100% ok with that. Though I do make sure to turn off the lights!
Wow, I already commented, but I feel I have to again. Seems like a whole lot of judging going on here about people (like me) who take their trees down right away. We’re not anti-Christmas, we’re not somehow less Christian, we know Christmas is a season not just a day – we just like to get our homes back in order!!! Lighten up, people!! It’s a matter of personal taste, not a lack of faith or belief!
I LOVE the lights, tree and decorations and like to leave them for a while – usually much of January. But by February it’ll be down … I hope. :)
We take ours down at the end of the Christmas season (Epiphany)
My tree was down and all decorations put away by 12n on the 26th. When my children were young, I use to take the tree down on the 26th every year because my daughter’s birthday in on the 28th so we instantly switched from ‘Christmas mode’ to ‘birthday mode’. It’s bad enough that her birthday is so close to Christmas I didn’t want her to have to ‘share’ her birthday with Christmas. She just turned 21 yesterday and doesn’t live at home anymore but I still make the switch easily that when Christmas is over, it’s over. Happy New Year!!!
This is our first Christmas getting a live tree so we’re keeping it up as long as we can without being ridiculous. We have plans to take it down on January 9 because the tree farm will take it back that weekend, mulch it and give us a certificate for a tree sapling come spring time.
Our tree went up the first week of December and it’s coming down tomorrow. I want all that stuff put away when I have to go back to work next week. And that makes room for the new furniture.
I am ready to take my tree down on Christmas Day, but this year we had company come the day after Christmas so I left my tree and other decorations up until they left- on Monday. I started taking down the miscellaneous decorations a couple of hours after they left but the tree didn’t come down untli the next day.
I always decorate late in December about a week before Christmas, so I’m not usually ready to bring it down until around New Years- sometimes even into the first week of the new year. My decorating is not too lavish, a single tree, wreath, garland, some special pictures, lights. It leans more toward lights and wintry sparkle and nature than Santa and elves, so that helps. I really enjoy the week between Christmas and New Years when I can get past the rushing around and take time to enjoy the meaning of the holiday, the quiet of the season, and the warmth of my home. Then at the beginning of the year I really like the feeling of a clean sweep and new beginnings, and taking down the holiday decorations gets that rolling for me!
Best in 2010 to everyone!