Uh-Show Of Hands. How Many Are Guilty Of STILL Having Christmas Decorations Out
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
January 17, 2010 8:47pm CST
Okay maybe I'm a tad weird...yes, I admit it...LOL. But I have to admit I still have my Christmas decorations out though did take my decorations down my front door more than a week ago.
In many ways, I hate taking them down and storing them away, since it does make the apartment look nice and cheery and festive, when I take everything down the place looks so darn drab. I'm thinking though about starting to put things away tomorrow though...then I thought, gee maybe I should just keep everything out and have a real head start for next Christmas
So are you a procrastinator about putting any holiday decorations away, especially Christmas ones, or do you take them down almost right away? Does your place look kind of bare and drab once everything is away? Or are you just plain happy to get things back to normal again? Am I asking too many questions?
16 people like this
49 responses
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
18 Jan 10
We didn't decorate for Christmas this year b/c my son was with his Dad, but I do have some Halloween window clings hanging around.
4 people like this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
18 Jan 10
Halloween is pretty much the only holiday all year I enjoy. So my decorations usually start going up in September and then come down whenever. All of the major decorations were taken down by mid-November, but window clings on 2 windows remain (one window is my sons room and he wants them up, the other is this small room in the kitchen that unless you use our "side" door, you won't see.).
3 people like this
@PurpleTeddyBear (6685)
• Canada
18 Jan 10
Wow! We always take our Hallowe'en decorations down the day after Hallowe'en (Nov 1st). We usually put them up about the 15th or so!
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jan 10
LOL--It took me a long time to take down my Halloween decorations down too, in fact kept most up even during Thanksgiving...finally took them down when I decorated for Christmas
2 people like this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
18 Jan 10
Hey pye! I hate to take down my Christmas decorations too!
It does make me feel really sad because I now that they won't
be coming back for a very long time! But, unfortunately I
already did take mine down on New Year's Day, like I usually
do! I don't like to, but I always end up doing it that way
or I'd end up having them up all year! There was one year that
I had my big tree up that I swore I wasn't going to ever take
it down! I didn't care if it was still up in July! But, I did
finally take it down and was so depressed! It does make the
livingroom look so drab and empty without the decorations! But,
I did need to put up my laundry drying racks again! How pathetic
is that?
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jan 10
Thanks Opal...I'm glad to find out I'm not the only one that doesn't like to take decorations down...it took me a week to put everything up since I decorate the entire apt...so I imagine it'll take a full week to take everything down...maybe that's another reason I put it off as long as I do.
4 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47677)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
18 Jan 10
The whole apartment, Pye? All 300 sq. ft. of it?
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jan 10
Sorry to hear about your children's dad having left like that. And yes does sound like you have your hands full with such a schedule with your kids.
@BarBaraPrz...actually it takes me a lot longer to decorate with my joint and ankle problems....used to be able to decorate the entire apt. in one night...now it takes me a week
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
18 Jan 10
Guilty, but not very many as I barely had time to put anything out. I usually take them down right after Jan 6 (twelfth night) but I had foot surgery January 7. The other problem is that I want to take a better picture of my topiary tree I made from a tomato cage, and I also do not have anything to store it in--- maybe I do, I could put it in a cloth draw string bag, bet I have one, or could make one easily. If I did not start a discussion about that tree I need to. Maybe tomorrow.
I am anxious to get stuff put away, but I am still not released for much because of the foot surgery. I am ready to think "Garden". My houseplants make things lively, if I display them well.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
18 Jan 10
Hurts in a "healing" sort of way. It is strange to look at my foot. All the toenails and toes show bruising, and the most sore place is on the bottom of the foot. I can feel "cat scratchy" type pains where the incision is today, which I suppose is from healing. Because I have to be careful, any walking is with a funky gait, and that makes my knee and hip hurt. I am a bad judge of pain, as it does not really hurt any worse than it has for several months now, just hurts differently. I am taking the Lortab, because it lets me rest, which is important for healing. That makes me sleep a lot, but it is probably good.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jan 10
Like I said, the only thing I took down around the first week of January were the decorations I had on my door since I couldn't help think if I had them on longer my neighbors would think I was a bit weird...LOL
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jan 10
PS--Hope your foot gets better--does it still hurt?
1 person likes this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
18 Jan 10
It is only once a year affair that we 'dress' the living room with all the glitters and sparkles of christmas decorations for a special occasion. Once it is over, the atmosphere comes back to a square one. I wish everyday is like christmas where the living room remain pleasing to the eyes which gives us the feeling of lively and cheerful joy. But without any special occasion to celebrate, the glitters of the neonlights is meaningless. It is back to serious work in making a living.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jan 10
Maybe it's just the plain kid in me...I wait for Christmas time to come all year long which is maybe I'm reluctant in taking things down
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
18 Jan 10
Our Christmas tree is still up and there is a giant snowflake on the inside of the front door. I keep telling myself that I am going to take down the tree, but I keep putting it off. It has been unplugged for awhile now though at least. We don't really have any other stuff on the walls here so it will look kind of drab and boring once it comes down.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jan 10
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with their tree up...although I still plug in the lights at night....LOL
@jazzsue58 (2666)
•
18 Jan 10
I make all my own swags (topped up with pretty picks from Hobbycraft) plus we always have a real "American" tree - the sort with candles, beads, baubles and bows where if you can see the branches you ain't done it right ...
Years ago (before my life came crashing down around my ears) I lived in a lovely cottage with open fireplaces. By the time i finished putting up deckies it looked like a Dickensian novel! The latest I ever took them down was around now - one year, they didn't go into the loft till almost easter. My kids were a lot younger then, of course.
These days I must admit they come down pretty early - round about the 6th. I'm living in a rented place on a modern estate and it's not the same without a big fireplace to decorate. I'm just glad to see everything back to normal! i.e. boring and depressing - it makes me work harder to try and change things. But I know exactly where you're coming from.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jan 10
Yes in many ways I like things "back to normal" too, but still hestitate about taking things down right away. I could never understand why people though take all their decorations down like the day after Christmas though, unless it's due to putting things up real early...like right after Thanksgiving or so
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Jan 10
I think this weekend with be the time I finally get around to take everything down...still hate to though
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
18 Jan 10
Mine are all down now. They went up 2 days before Christmas, thou.
1 person likes this
@Galena (9110)
•
19 Jan 10
I can't remember the exact thing of it, I think it's meant to be bad luck if you leave the decorations up after about the 5th of january, or whenever it is.
and some people really nag you that it's bad luck, but I find it leaves the house a bit dull to take the pretty lights down in january when it's cold and dull still
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
21 Jan 10
Like I said I never heard of that superstition...wouldn't bother me. Just like I don't believe Friday the 13th is unlucky
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jan 10
Mmm..I wasn't even aware there was some sort of superstition...what is it?
@PurpleTeddyBear (6685)
• Canada
18 Jan 10
Hi Pye,
Haven't seen you in quite some time. All of our Christmas decorations are gone. Christmas decorations usually go up the first or second week of December and come down the weekend after Christmas just before New Years usually! I LOVE having pretty decorations and the tree up but don't mind taking it down either. We have a pretty small place because rent is outrageous here so when we get a bigger place I will probably enjoy decorating more!Hope you had a nice Christmas, and Happy New Year to you!
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jan 10
LOL--Oh I've been here. Yes I did have a nice peaceful Christmas and New Year's. Like I said I might start taking my stuff down tomorrow as soon as I come back home from doing some errands. Since it took me a whole week putting everything up it'll probably take me just as long taking them down...
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
18 Jan 10
heh..i still have halloween stuff out.
but that's year round decor.
come on..the light up skullies are just too cute :)
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
24 Jan 10
the family has always gripped at me about wanting to take everything down right away. always tell me at least wait till after new years or its bad luck not sure about that. im very bad about loving color. most places i've lived i have lots of color in my rooms so it wouldnt be drab in any case
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
28 Jan 10
I never heard it being bad luck about taking Christmas decorations down before New Year's---one person said it was the opposite, that it was bad luck to wait after New Year's...well in any event I ONLY took down the Christmas tree today...yup--only today...lovely chore too...NOT. It meant hauling it down four flights of stairs (it's a real tree) to the garbage area...then back up, out again to sweep the hallway outside, then swept in the apt, then clean the floors..I'm pooped!
@angelajoy (1825)
• Philippines
18 Jan 10
We still have Christmas decorations at home. The Christmas tree is still standing and Santa is still in front of our house. I think they really look nice. It's not up to me to decide when we should remove our Christmas decorations. My mother's the one who decides. But I think our house would still look nice after removing the decorations because my mother loves all kinds of decorations, so when she removes the Christmas decorations she would surely replace them with a different kind of decoration.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Jan 10
Well I finally managed to get most of my decorations down but still have a lot still left up including the tree...perhaps this weekend I'll finally take everything down though
Never thought to decorate for Valentine's
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Jan 10
When you think of it though, people who have decorations up all year long have a head start for next Christmas
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
20 Jan 10
Nope mine always come down on New Year Day once it is all over they come down lol
Yes it does look bare once they are down but I have to be honest that once it is all over I get fed up with seeing them, it was different when my Children where little I used to leave them up till the 6th January but now they come down
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Jan 10
Nope I don't think I've ever taken decorations down that early...LOL Seem to take things down by mid-January..I have most decorations down already now....still have a lot more though
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
19 Jan 10
I can hardly believe I still have my Holiday Decorations up - kinda... We barely put anything out to start with - just the stockings - and they're still sitting on the coffee table waiting to get put away. The stocking hangers are still on the entertainment center and need to come down too. The small ceramic tree we have has to get put away also... My husband will probably take care of it this weekend.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Jan 10
I'm hoping to get most of my decorations down this weekend too...did take down a lot the other day though but still have a lot to put away
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
19 Jan 10
I guess I can raise my hand half-way. I did put EVERYTHING away, but the tree is still standing :) It's in a corner so not really in the way. I took down all the decorations and ornaments though, so it's just a green tree now. This is why we bought a skinny tree, so it's not in the way, and we don't even remember to put it away :)
Also we still have our stakes in the ground outside. Just two small signs that say happy holidays. I haven't felt like going to get them because I have to walk through the snow! My neighbors have a ton of decor still on their front lawns so I figured my two little stakes wouldn't even be noticed :)
I love Christmas Decor and could leave it up for months! But eventually I know I'd want to change it to something more in season. Currently I'm shopping for Easter goodies since I'm having Easter at my house this year :)
I also have a wreath doll we hang on the closet. I have one for fall that is a scarecrow with leaves, one for winter that is a snowman, and for spring/summer we have a flower one. I like the idea of switching things out each season to put me in the mood for the season... although it does mean I will be buying more stuff to decorate the rest of the house in spring and fall ;)
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Jan 10
Goodness when you think of it, it WILL be Easter time...time just goes too darn fast..LOL
I have a lot of my decorations down but not all...hoping to get it done this weekend and need to take the tree down...My two cats might miss it since they think it's there own private forest and like to sleep under it
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
21 Jan 10
I took mine down over a week ago. I was shopping the other day and I found a cute little ceramic Santa with dangly cloth legs. He's meant to sit on the edge of a shelf or what-not table with his legs dangling. He is so cute and a bargain at 2 bucks and he is looking at me from the table where I have a stack of photos at the end of the dining table where I work. All the Christmas stuff has been stored away so I guess he will have to sit there till the end of the year. I wonder how long it will take for Banjo to knock him down?
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Jan 10
That Santa sounds cute. Yep, one can get real bargains after Christmas getting decorations real cheap...that's probably the best time to buy decorations
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Jan 10
I'm finally managing to get a lot of the decorations down...think of making this weekend to take the rest of everything down
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
21 Jan 10
I’ve been pretty good this year I took mine down around the 10th of January, usually they are still up at the beginning of February! You are right about how drab it is without all the Festive decorations, my daughter makes beautiful colourful ones which get better every year and I am still trying to get used to how dull the house is now that they are gone! The only good thing is that now I don’t have to worry about a certain kitten hanging off the Christmas tree!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Jan 10
I might make this weekend to finally take everything down...have most decorations down not but not everything--I think my cats might miss the tree...they think it's their own private forest to snooze under.
1 person likes this