Christmas Lights Still On???!!

Traditionally, Christmas decorations should be taken down by 12th Night, which falls on January 5th. I've always heard that it's unlucky to leave your Christmas decorations up beyond this date. Perhaps that's my problem! lol. I never get them down in time. I always put my tree up and start decorating the day after Thanksgiving because I look forward to Christmas with great anticipation every year. I just hate that part when I have to take it all down afterwards. We still haven't taken the outside lights down yet, but that's got more to do with the cold and the weather than not wanting them down. Certainly, we aren't turning them on now though!

So my rule of thumb is Christmas decorations go up the day after Thanksgiving, and should begin to come down around January 1. I think Thanksgiving should be the earliest, and I think Christmas decorations should be down by January 5th at the latest. I dont want to see any on Valentines day either. I figure if its freezing, or you work all the time, lights could stay up longer, but should not continue to be on at night.

I like to put all my lights and trees up the first weekend of December. Have done that for years! I always leave them up till after the New Year...the first weekend in Jan. My hubby is convinced that if you take your tree down any earlier than the New Year...you will have bad luck. :-) Not to sure what I believe..lol I currently still have my tree up in the basement...lol I know, it has been up way to long. But I guess, out of sight, out of mind. That is something I have to do ASAP!

I think 2 - 3 weeks before Christmas at the earliest is a good time to start turning Xmas lights on. As for when one should turn off their Christmas lights? I'd have to say the latest should be 2 - 3 days after the new year. Sure my kids and I love to see all the pretty lights on the houses as we drive by them, but after that many days has gone by it starts to get a bit ridiculous.

I turn my lights on the first of December and they stay on until Janurary first. I think that the "holiday" month is long enough to have your lights on. I do have some friends that celebrate Ukrainian Christmas so they have theirs on until the 7th of Janurary which is fine. The house across the street from me still has theirs on and I think that it's about time that they turn them off too.

I would say anything before Thanksgiving is too early and after the end of January is too late - but honestly I don't care. Its just lights and it doesn't make a difference to me either way. And I do understand that most people are too lazy to take them down or they themselves don't care either.

I think the earlest should be after Halloween. I normally do it the weekend after Thanksgiving. As for coming down. I normally do it the weekend after New Years. This year I just got mine down - 2 weeks after the first. I think at the latest they should be down by the end of Jan. I don't like the stuff up any longer then it has to but others do enjoy it for as long as they can.

I think that New Years day is a good time to stop, but if you want to go longer, that the 15 is about max.

Hey, I think they look pretty but most people took them down before new year here, I haven't seen any houses which have them still up. I have the tree and decorations up still, now I tried to take them down but A) my wife moaned and said she wanted them up a it longer and B) my son cried.. ~Joey

I think you are right.i think it is fine to leave them up until the new year arrives but after that they should come down..I have seen people who do that ,leave them on all year but to me that is silly..I don't know if they like them a lot or just to lazy to take them down,seems like after christmas is over you just get a little lazy about taking the lights down..I don't put any up outside anymore its just to much trouble to take it all down.I decorate inside the house and thats it...

I would most prefer to not turn on the Christmas lights until Christmas Day - or perhaps eve. The absolute earliest for me would be the first Sunday in Advent... I believe the latest should be February second as that is the last day of the Christmas Season... but I usually take ours down by January 6th (Epiphany) because the needles are becoming too frequent on the floor :)