When does Christmas end for you?

[LineSkiCat14]

I've always been one to extend the "Christmas" season well past NYE and into the first few weeks of January. Christmas lights stay up and stay, still will watch Christmas moves through NYE, don't bother taking decorations down until probably late January. Probably will have one more Christmas party the week after to catch up with other friends and family..

I ask this because I'm always blown away by the people who have their trees out for pickup on December 26th. You put all this work into setting it all up, I want to actually enjoy it for a while. Maybe it's the cold up here for me, but I always found it depressing to end Christmas immediately after the 25th. Way more enjoyable to make Christmas more of a season to get through the cold winters up by me.

What say you?

 

[jedwar]

New Year’s Day for me. By then I’m ready to be done.

 

[bbonds]

We put all of our stuff up the week before Thanksgiving. We get to enjoy it. Usually the weekend around NY will take it all down. So next weekend.

 

[BigBlueDave]

Grandmother on my mom's side lived her whole life in Philadelphia. Her tree didn't go up until Christmas Eve and stayed up through the twelve days. She hasn't been with us since 1980 though and times change.

New Years Day for me. Outside lights sooner if bad weather is forecast. I got burned one year and I missed my chance. It was nasty out with snow on my roof until the first week of March.

 

[rick64]

I guess today. My wife has taken most of the Christmas decorations. 😂

 

[justa]

I’m in same boat. Usually it’s been New Years but this year she started taking down decorations yesterday and today only thing left is the tree.

 

[UK82]

Yeah my wife took down everything, even the last can of Who-hash.

 

[warrior-cat]

New Year’s Day for me. By then I’m ready to be done.

Goes up the Saturday after Thanksgiving and goes down the first weekend after New Years Day.

 

[BC_Wader]

Usually the weekend after New Years is when the decorations come down. After Christmas is about the only time I can really wind down and enjoy them.

 

[funKYcat75]

We were 12 clicks outside of Hai Phong. A small fishing village named Tân Thàn. Reports of Charlie hiding in trees, trap doors that would pierce your leg with sharpened bamboo, and commie bastards dressed as women so they could move freely about. I had eyes on one such “lady” as she went from market to market, trading money with the merchants, yet never buying anything. I wasn’t sure what “her” game was, but I knew it was suspect. As she walked back to her hut, she kept turning her head, nervously looking up into the hills. I knew then I had to make my move. I pulled some wide-eyed rookie grunt who just landed two days ago, and we headed towards the hut. I could see light inside and the sound of children playing before bedtime. The newbie and I kicked in the door of the hut, fingers on the trigger. They all screamed. It was a sound I’ll never forget. The men. The women. The children. My God, the children. They were everywhere. I glanced at the wall, and the calendar read ngày 26 tháng 12. I lowered my gun and helped them put their Christmas decorations away. The children laughed as the tall Yank pulled the star off the top with ease while the other soldier helped pack away the other decorations. It was a new day. That’s when Christmas ended for me. I knew these kids would probably not see another Christmas due to this damned war and I said I’d never celebrate it while there was still poverty, hunger, and war in this crazy mixed-up world. We said our goodbyes. Good bye Tân Thàng, farewell children, and so long, Christmas.

Then I just flamethrowered the whole place.

 

[TriangleUKCat]

Put up both trees with lights the weekend before Thanksgiving then incrementally decorate them/decorate rest of house over the next week.

Gradually start taking down decorations/ornaments starting New Year’s Day unless we are traveling but keep trees with lights on them until MLK weekend. Not sure why we got in that pattern but it’s stuck. It’s nice having the soft light I guess.

We used to get two real trees until my wife decided to come home with two rescue kittens one fall and we realized they go turbo apeshit over real trees for some reason. Bastards.

 

[NociHTTP]

I've always been one to extend the "Christmas" season well past NYE and into the first few weeks of January. Christmas lights stay up and stay, still will watch Christmas moves through NYE, don't bother taking decorations down until probably late January. Probably will have one more Christmas party the week after to catch up with other friends and family..

I ask this because I'm always blown away by the people who have their trees out for pickup on December 26th. You put all this work into setting it all up, I want to actually enjoy it for a while. Maybe it's the cold up here for me, but I always found it depressing to end Christmas immediately after the 25th. Way more enjoyable to make Christmas more of a season to get through the cold winters up by me.

What say you?

Beautiful post! I keep telling my husband that it makes no sense to me that A LOT of people traditionally set up their Christmas decorations the first Saturday after Thanksgiving, and then take down the decorations the day after Christmas.

My favorite parts of each year are from September 1st all the way through the first big snowstorm (like we get those anymore) after Christmas. In recent years I have shifted my thinking on Christmas and have finally decided that Christmas should be on January 25th.

That way, I can still enjoy my fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, the Christmas hoopla and get in my Christmas classics.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Yeah I think New Years eve makes sense. I think it's those that take it down the next day that are odd. I want to relax the few days after Christmas.. all the cooking, wrapping, cleaning, home with the kids for a week or so already.. When December 26th hits, it's pajamas and leftovers for the next few days at least.

 

[christophero]

December 26th at midnight.

 

[KyCatFan]

Put it all up about a month before. Took the tree down yesterday. Will probably take the rest of the interior decorations down today or tomorrow. Outside will stay up until we get some dry weather. Not in the mood to have my ladder constantly sinking into the wet yard all along the front gutter.

I'd love to have some of those Govee permanent lights that can be used as security lighting but also change to different colors and make them flash for holidays. Two houses on a street by me have them and they look pretty nice. Not sure how hard they are to install. I just had my exterior of my house wrapped, added a covered porch, and had new gutters put up (also a new roof). Kind of hesitant to put any holes in anything.

 

[BlueThruAndThru]

After the feats of strength.

 

[MegaBlue05]

It ends Dec. 26 for me mentally. Wife and I usually leave the decorations up until Jan. 2.

By then, I am ready to get the living room back to “normal” and toss that tree
In my shed for another 11 months.

 

[Tony Perkis]

It ends Dec. 26 for me mentally. Wife and I usually leave the decorations up until Jan. 2.

By then, I am ready to get the living room back to “normal” and toss that tree
In my shed for another 11 months.

Agreed. Decorations are fine, but things like the Christmas tree takes up a lot of space. On the 26th, it's going back into storage.

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

Started putting decorations up today in our house.

 

[jedwar]

Got everything put up today. Took advantage of the weather.

 

[ukalumni00]

We have a few big parties at our house before Christmas so the wife is all about decorating outside and inside. A lot of work goes into it so we wait until now (actually did it today) to take down the outdoor decorations. We’ll slowly take care of the interior the next week. It’s calming having the trees and lights on at night so we are never in a real hurry. Would say immediately after Christmas is a bit much and maybe a few weeks after NYD is too long.

 

[BGCATFAN2012]

I've been wanting the tree down for 2days now. Probably tomorrow afternoon or Thursday at the latest

 

[BBBLazing]

I was always taught that you can't take your decorations down until after January 6. My mother always said that was the day that the wise men got to the manger and called January 6 "Little Christmas". I have no idea if that is true, but that is what we have always done.

 

[BigBlueFanGA]

I've always been one to extend the "Christmas" season well past NYE and into the first few weeks of January. Christmas lights stay up and stay, still will watch Christmas moves through NYE, don't bother taking decorations down until probably late January. Probably will have one more Christmas party the week after to catch up with other friends and family..

I ask this because I'm always blown away by the people who have their trees out for pickup on December 26th. You put all this work into setting it all up, I want to actually enjoy it for a while. Maybe it's the cold up here for me, but I always found it depressing to end Christmas immediately after the 25th. Way more enjoyable to make Christmas more of a season to get through the cold winters up by me.

What say you?

My tree is staying up for a while. I find the lights comforting. I can use all I can get of that right now.

 

[bthaunert]

Took advantage of the mid 40’s weather yesterday to take all the outside stuff down. Usually look at the forecast a few days after Christmas and plan the outside lights that way. Supposed to ge brutally cold here in IL in a few days so got it done.

I’ll take the inside stuff down tomorrow. I’ll have football on the TV and take my time doing it and watching games.

 

[justa]

Put it all up about a month before. Took the tree down yesterday. Will probably take the rest of the interior decorations down today or tomorrow. Outside will stay up until we get some dry weather. Not in the mood to have my ladder constantly sinking into the wet yard all along the front gutter.

I'd love to have some of those Govee permanent lights that can be used as security lighting but also change to different colors and make them flash for holidays. Two houses on a street by me have them and they look pretty nice. Not sure how hard they are to install. I just had my exterior of my house wrapped, added a covered porch, and had new gutters put up (also a new roof). Kind of hesitant to put any holes in anything.

I installed uplighting this fall for the front of the house. I just did the low voltage since I’m familiar with working with them. Super simple install and has remote to change colors, etc.

 

[AmericanDragon]

Depends on how it works out with the work calendar. I do virtually no decorating at my home since it's just me. Only thing I did last year was wrap a string of Christmas themed lights around my big house plant. First time doing that and since I liked it so much, I switched to a string of cool white lights for the rest of the year. But at my parents, we took down decorations over the weekend since I was there to help.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I will say, having this nice weather the last few days, I totally get taking down the lights outside, especially because we're about to get whacked with that polar vortex next week. Going to be well into the negatives where I am.

 

[specialkd24]

Christmas is the best season so we try to extend it as long as possible. In 2020 we started putting our first tree up on November 1. We decorate up through Thanksgiving (we have 5 full size trees) and keep them up usually through January.

The outdoor lights I put up right before Thanksgiving (depending on weather), turn them on Thanksgiving night and keep them up until mid-January (or until I'm the last one in my neighborhood with them on). But that is weather dependent, and if I know it is going to be really nice, I'll take them down a little earlier.

January is one of the bleakest months (cold, Christmas is over, etc.) it just always feels "blah" when all the lights are down.

 

[ukalum1988]

I was always taught that you can't take your decorations down until after January 6. My mother always said that was the day that the wise men got to the manger and called January 6 "Little Christmas". I have no idea if that is true, but that is what we have always done.

Not that you “can’t” but rather that you “shouldn’t”…… January 6th is the Feast of the Epiphany, when the Magi presented their gifts to the Infant Jesus. That’s pretty much the timeline I follow.