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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,656
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

I have taken down a lot of decorations and all the outside things are down and put away.  I usually have everything down and put away by New Year's Eve except the tree and the lights in the windows.  This year has been a nightmare.  We both came down with an upper respiratory infection late last week and we are still sick so it may be the end of the week before we get it all down.  I love my tree and we have so many beautiful ornaments  but the last few days I've been too sick (and so has he) to deal with it.  My usually neat and orderly home looks like it has been ransacked. 

Contributor
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎03-25-2010

My tree and decorations will stay up until at least the 12th day of Christmas on January 6. I always saved one gift when my daughter was growing up to be given on Epiphany. My best friend and I exchange Epiphany gifts. It seems we rush the holidays so early that Christmas is over for most people when the holiday season has just begun.                

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,627
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Not taking anything down until Epiphany.  This is when I enjoy everything the most.

"I've been here since October 2006. Wow!"
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,323
Registered: ‎03-20-2010

I keep mine up at least until Russian Orthodox Christmas and Ephphany but usually well into February to enjoy.  With all the rushing around there is little time to really enjoy it.  I don't understand all the rush to erase Christmas!!

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,519
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Yes, our tree, indoor, and outdoor decorations are all put away.

 

This was our first year with a real tree and the pine needles were starting to fall everywhere.  We put it up Thanksgiving weekend, so it was really time for it to go.  I have a feeling  I'll be cleaning up pine needles off the floor for MANY months to come! Smiley Surprised

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,590
Registered: ‎12-23-2015

yup. all christmas is away for another year. maria decorated for valentines day yestauday afternoon after dinner . we all ordered chinese food. yum.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,112
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Everything down and put away...except for two Valerie battery operated/plug in tree decorations (the ones that have the sparkly stuff float around inside when the tree is turned on).  I have the green and the clear.  I enjoy them so much that I intend to keep them up through the winter.  They're lovely.  And a nice touch on dreary winter days.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,019
Registered: ‎08-08-2010

Two trees at our house this year, both artificial and both smaller (5 footers) are still up, and in fact a new one in the box just arrived and is in the livingroom waiting to be built and tested (the original new 5 foot tree we purchased has to go back, as the stand weld broke already). 

 

I used to leave the decor up till mid January, but I'm planning on beginning the pack up sometime mid week this week. 

 

I'm modifying my storage a little more this year, and have purchased some storage and organizing containers, and need to clean out a closet as well before I begin to put away, so it might not actually get started till the end of the week. 

 

My son and husband have had two long weekends and they have been here a lot more than normal, and we had some company this weekend, so I am glad everything was still decorated and we could enjoy it together (their schedules prevent us from all being in the same place at the same time 6 out of 7 days a week).

 

I always have seen the holidays as a season. It really makes me sad that it tends to get shut down on the 26th. I'm guessing that retail and the media are now dictating the holiday season, and not the calendar or the significant religious days and when they fall or are observed. That is why it begins in July (and in October in earnest) and is 'over' on the 26th. 

 

It seems when I was a kid, no one got decorated or 'into' Christmas full swing until a couple weeks before the 25th, but still had trees and decor up well into January.

 

People do what works for them. No one can take away your spirit regardless of when your tree goes up and comes down, whether you get the 'look' for enjoying Christmas in July, or whether you want a long or short holiday season in your life. I'm always puzzled by people who say that because retailers starts too early, it ruins the special aspect of the season for them. I can't let retail or others definition of the season, when it should start, when it should end, how much time, effort, money etc. is appropriate to put in it, dictate the level of joy I receive from it.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,310
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

NO!!! Hubs took it down Dec 27th. I put the very few Xmas decors away. Was glad to see it gone!!

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,250
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Ours is still up. DH said we should keep it up till Easter. LOL we really love this iTwinkle tree. We both love the way the decorating turned out this year too,  I put in wide ribbon & those cheap Dollar Store snowflakes really added to the sparkle.

 

storage....

I used the new canvas Christmas tree bags to store all the other decorations. It worked out pretty well, except one is a little bigger & awkward than DH likes.  Still it was better than the huge shipping suitcases we were using.  They are in the trash now. 

 

We store the tree in extra bedroom.  This year I bought a Christmas tree disposal bag to keep the dust off.  I hope it fits.  The last 2 years it was in a canvas tree bag that was a real PIA.  I had to cut the tree out of it this year. LOL