Please could someone tell me when the decorations should be taken down?

My come down 1st day grandkids return to school....this new term starts on 6th round our way!

I always get rid it them ASAP after NYE to banish all trace of Christmas and relish the fact that it’s s year before having to do it again!

There's nothing sad about it, Soniah. Like everything else in life, it's horses for courses, not one size fits all. We no longer live in such traditional times and, therefore, are not going to feel that we need to worry about what others think. Family/friends' circumstances often dictate what we feel we would like to do. My friend comes to visit from Scotland at the beginning of December and that is when we feel Christmas starts for us. We are not going to postpone the decorations till she has gone home as it all adds to the atmosphere. Also, in my case, this year, I put them up earlier as I was having an operation which I knew would incapacitate me for a while and I was so glad not to have to face that particular task when I was feeling weak. I'm glad you were able to get a holiday and still have time to enjoy things as I hope you are still doing.

Spent the whole day removing all traces of Christmas and only just finished at 6pm, all safely stored in the garage now ready for next year. Going away for a few days so needed to be sure they were all down and put away beforehand as don't want to invite any bad luck. Needless to say DH sat and watched me and never even offered to help. Now enjoying a very large G& T.

was planning to take mine down on 5 january.
however i crashed my car on thursday (wrote it off) and, as a result i've cracked my sternum and been ordered to take it easy and rest a lot. i had no help from daughter and grandaughters to put them up so no doubt i'll have no help taking them down.
they'll just have to stay up until i'm ready.

Decorations go up on Christmas Eve (the start of Christmas) and taken down on 2 February - Candlemas Day - which is when Christmas ended in the Middle Ages. TBH when we used to have a real tree it was removed on 6 January because it was shedding needles but the cards, crib and other decorations remained until Candlemas. By which time I was sick of them

I always take them down broke returning to work as I can't manage by myself as tree too big!!! But yes 6th of Jan they should be down!

We once had a neighbour who to our amazement still had all her Christmas decorations up in June. She just couldn’t be a***d to take them down when I asked her why.

I take ours down anytime from 2nd to 6th January, depending when I can be bothered

The Queen leaves hers up till February according to Stephen Fry

I very much doubt that HM does her own decs….

My GS was christened on 12th January and there was a Christmas tree still in the church. Thought it was a bit odd at the time.

a. when the mood strikes
b. when the snow melts
c. when the city gives you a
nasty gram on the door
d. when you HOA tells you
it's time
e. when they begin to
disintegrate
f. when you move
g. when you pick new colors
h. when the wife says it's
time. (I'm the wife)

In Spain, Christmas decorations should go up on December 13th, the day of Santa Lucia and also 12 days before Christmas day and they should come down on epiphany, 12th night, 6th January and Visitation of the Three Wise Men.

In our house, they rarely go up on the 13th unless it is a Saturday (and I try to put them up later if I can anyway, less trouble) but they always stay up until the Three Kings, as it is a big celebration here.

My anally tidy cousin has everything boxed up and away on Boxing Day . It's as if Christmas never happened at their house. I am an untidy hoarder and I love the decorations. I find it quite upsetting that my cousin gets distressed by a bit of mess. I suppose the there must be a happy medium.

I put up the tree the weekend before Christmas unless it falls on a Monday or Tuesday in which case I’ll stretch it to the previous weekend. It always comes down on the 6th. My daughter was born on the 7th so when she was little I used to wait till she went to bed to remove all signs of Christmas and replace the decorations with birthday balloons and banners for her rising the next morning.

We make our own traditions.

Oh my Lord I couldn’t stand that clutter until Feb. Would drive me insane.

Thank you MrsDoyle I am, you are right of course, I just think it gets earlier and earlier. My husband thinks we should have Christmas every 18 months so we could celebrate alternately in summer and winter (I did suggest going to Australia some years but he didn't want to do that). It is a lovely time for those of us with children and grandchildren but also a sad time for many who have lost people, alone or struggling financially.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I've spent this weekend taking every decoration down, packing them away and putting the tree out to be collected by the local hospice. I've repainted the living room, top to bottom and tomorrow will give everything a good spring clean, including rugs. Not what I'd normally want to be doing but needs must....

Wow chewbacca. You ok? Christmas has started to disappear here. I always do a bit at a time, the trees are last. Our tiny home looks huge when they are all gone .

I'm fine thanks cornergran! But I discovered that I had a problem with damp on one wall and the builder could only come yesterday to sort it out, so no choice but to move the Christmas tree so that he could access the wall. As my house is waaaay too small, it had to go for good, im afraid. Pity, it was a really nice sized, well shaped tree this year and I only had it for a week.

Yes, it’s a time for reflection, for sure, when you get older. So many memories, so many less fortunate to think about. On the bright side, we are still making memories for us and our families.

Where does the idea of “bad luck” come from if you leave them up after 6th January?

I have to wonder why some people put decorations up at all if they can’t wait to take them down again. Why bother????

My house, my rules ?

Decorations came down yesterday as I had a feeling of been there, done that.....next?

Patiently waiting to fill the house with the promise of spring......an abundance of daffodils and tulips which should be available approx. mid January.