When do you take the tree down?

Yeah, we wait until some time in January.

right after it starts mouthing off on new years day. All talking about it did it’s job and that it’s union and stuff.

We’re having a New Year’s Eve party, so I’ll take it down after that. But it SURE won’t be New Year’s Day!

Probably after the new year.

There are no signs of Christmas in my house, save presents that already have a spot. I am not into lingering holiday decorations. I like the tree and everything else torn down the day after Christmas. I’m just done with Christmas. Honestly, I’m not much of a Christmas person anyway. I love the food and seeing family, and how excited my kids always get, but it’s done and I am more than good with that.

I use an artificial tree because I am too green.

Well, first you have to put one up to take one down. I just didn’t do one this year. I like taking them down the day after. I’m usually done with it all, but don’t normally get to it for some days later.

i take it down or out on new year’s eve. don’t want it up in the new year for cleansing reasons, you know? i mean, it’s, quite honestly, a thing of the past once the dawn of dec. 26 hits.

oh and get the lights down outside on the first warm day opportunity. for us in chicago, that would be this saturday when the temp will be a balmy 50 degrees. take advantage, fer sure!

It’s the lights & outside decorations that seem to hang around for months.

taking a break right now!

Mine is coming down tonight.

I used to wait until Old Christmas, January 6th. But in a compromise with my husband, who wants things cleared up quickly, we settled on New Year’s Day. It’s a project of many hours, culminating with the Last Miracle of Christmas.* Luckily I won’t be nursing a hangover after my happily boring New Year’s Eve.

This is when I force myself ruthlessly to discard some ornaments and decorative items we aren’t using and haven’t used in some time. Because a few things creep in every year, it’s a necessity. I do not allow myself to add boxes.

*Getting everything back into the same storage boxes afterwards.

I’ll take it down this weekend, trash comes on Tuesday.

January 4th ( my birthday). We cut our own tree 2weeks before Christmas so it will last until my birthday. Everything seems so rushed before Christmas that I don’t get to enjoy the tree as much as I’d like. This gives the family time to enjoy the holiday a bit longer.

I didn’t get a tree this year. Both because we weren’t entertaining and I didn’t feel like hoovering/vacuuming 3 times a day!
Instead I got a planted holly branch/tree/whatchamacallit. It may survive long enough for me to get around to sticking it in the garden.

I take mine down on the Epiphany because I am Catholic and celebrate Christmas for 12 days.

@jbfletcherfan
same story with me
Why are we so lazy in taking down lights?

soon and very soon, oh, the tree WILL come down. Soon, and very soon, oh, the tree WILL come down!

@90skid, I think people just put it off because it’s cold out & they don’t want to mess with it.

Yeh but we don’t take down the lights in our winders either.

No tree this year, so I don’t have the headache of taking anything down… yay!!

i know people who put the tree up as early as halloween. word is, so many ornaments must be perfectly arranged so that it is just right come christmas day. guess that tree will stay up a while.

That’s carrying things WAAAYYYY to far.

I agree.

Out of all the stuff I put up, the electric candles in the windows are my very favorite. I have them all around the house. I even have them in the garage windows. They look so cool from the street. I HATE to take them down. I also have an electric angel outside that stands about 3’ tall. She’s neat, too.

It varies. We use a small artificial tree, so it’s not too much hassle. My girls will be staying with me all next week, and we’ll take it down together sometime during the week.

@jbfletcher: In Frederick, Maryland and other historic locations, it’s not uncommon to see those candles in the windows all year-round. They are referred to as ‘welcome candles’. Maybe you could start the trend in your neck of the woods!

Oh, yes, candles in the windows. I was shocked when I moved to California from New England and found that the houses here do not have windowsills. No windowsills! Where do we put the Christmas candles? I asked. (Never mind little plants, small ornamental figurines, colored glass bottles, etc.) I miss them greatly even after all these years.

I have candles in my windows year round. I am fortunate to have windowsills.
It just feels homey to have them on.

It’s such a nice quality of light.

@augustian, that’s a new idea, to have them up year round. I don’t know how that would go with the man of the house, ha. But I DO have white lights up above my kitchen cabinets that are there year round. I love little lights like that.

Jeruba, yes, no window sills would suck big time.

I last took mine down on Jan 2 2001. Thats right, got sick and tired of going to the trouble. All of the kids live out of town. If they were to visit….......er….....ah….......I might put it up (fingers crossed rolling eyes).

@Jeruba: I have seen devices that fit between a closed window and the area it closes into. They had a pretty broad base and stuck out 5 or so inches from the glass. The ones I saw had, probably, a 6 inch taper in it. Also had a cup/tray/area to collect the wax, if any.

If I run across them again I give you a shout. The Grinch

@ augustlan
You said that wrong but I won’t be an idiot and go into things
Thanks for answering why I always see candles in the windows. But my parents just leave them there (they don’t light them).
My friend leave only one candle near the door to let some weary traveler in to stay and my friend will take care of that person or something. I don’t know if that is what you were talking about.

And I have Christmas lights in my music room year round. They are there for lighting. But it’s a string of lights, not candles.

Whenever the wife tells me to…or soon after.