When do you take down your Christmas decorations?

I like them but I put them up early December so by the time Christmas is over, they are looking dusty and just a bit too gaudy. I always want to take them down straight after christmas but usually wait until 12th night (6 Jan) to take them down. They have to be down by then @rooeytoo, it’s the law!

This year I took them down on 31 Dec. I will do that from now on, so glad to get my sitting room back to normal!

I hate taking them down. I usually leave them up until the 6th or 7th of January.

Jan. 2nd.

I always say I’ll take stuff down by 12th Night 6th or 7th of Jan but usually put it off for a couple more weeks. Lazy am I!

When I decorate for Christmas there is no trace by sunset on December 26th. I sincerely dislike taking them down, but I really, really dislike looking at them hanging there all forlorn and sad after the big day.

I take the tree down between the 1st and 6th. Keeping it up through Epiphany is more of an excuse than a tradition. If I get around to putting outside lights up, I’ll take them down by Martin Luther king day, I just won’t turn them on.

The big driver for me is when the tree recycling truck is scheduled to come by.

This coming weekend.

I just responded to someone on facebook about this. I also think the day of the Epiphany, whichis also the 12th day of Christmas, or the day after, so the 6th or the 7th. In America most everyone thinks of the Christmas season as before Christmas, Black Friday through Christmas Day, at the most through New Years Day, but that is because of the commercialization, and shopping, related to Christmas. Of course many non-commercial events go on before Christmas like parties, and other happy things, so I don’t mean that everything Christmas related during those weeks before Christmas is manufactured from business and hallmark, but the shift in the celebrations does seem to stem from stores and even government deciding when the shopping is to begin.

Years past Christmas trees used to go up much later, so it makes sense they would come down later.

Some Christians do presents on the Day of the Epiphany or the day after, so Christmas is still happening for them. But, like I said, in America I think most people think of the 25th as the big day, as someone said above, and so for them Christmas is over that day.

My ex-roommate and her friend took them down sometime in January, 1981, and I have yet to put any up again. ;-o

What if we were to leave them up all year round!!!!!

@ZEPHYRA The problem is I think it would clash with the halloween decorations.

I know a few people who leave their lights on year round. It doesn’t look odd if the bulbs are small. Our Christmas tree has been up for over a year now. That’s fairly ridiculous.

I had an aunt (years ago) who had a fully decorated Christmas tree in a stand, on wheels. Bunched up at the base (just above the wheels), was a jumbo draw-string bag.

Every year, she simply rolled it out of the closet, untied the bag, plugged it in, and voila…insta-tree.

After Christmas: unplug, bag it up, and roll back into the closet. Done.

Jan 6th, which is Twelfth Night and the traditional day (at least in the UK?) to take the decorations down.

@cprevite Excellent.

Thank you all and lurve for your answers. My tree is still standing but now after reading all of your responses I feel even more guilty for not taking it down! Oh well tomorrow is the 6th, I will aim for then!!!