Christmas ritual is ......

Tree goes up quite late, and stays up till 5th January, DH loves Christmas, and goes into mourning when I take it all down! We both like Christmas decorations, I would feel a bit cheated if we didn't have them up.

A charity shop might take those off you rather than throw away or else a children’s craft group.

We used to buy boxes of cards in the sales but don't send many these days. We also used to buy lovely individual cards for mums and dads, and now have a collection of them that got put away and lost by Christmas so never used. Sadly only one mum between us now so I don't know why I haven't chucked them away.

The only sale item I buy is wrapping paper. I didn't send out cards this year, and still have some from previous years in case I change my mind. Wrapping paper I know will be used.

I don't like rituals - or even habits - so I'm always changing things, reducing Christmas year by year. Cards are gradually being cut down, so are now only sent to very elderly relatives. I think I have enough for a decade or so!

There's no daft tree or decorations here, either. No kids are in the house, so why bother? Leftovers have gone to the pets and local wildlife - and good riddance. So, it's back to a weird kind of 'normal' and I'm so happy to get it all over with!

DD and I regularly buy each other birthday presents well in advance and then lose them.

I'll strretch the decorations out to New Year's Day at least and if I get out to the shops I'll see if I can pick up some cards.

I am like you Jaxjacky. However my aim is not to go near a shop, any shop, between Christmas and New Year. Decorations come down after the New Year as we often invite family or friends for lunch on New Year's Day.

I buy charity cards and although I’m tempted, I’d rather they get the full price next year.

Good for you forsythia. Well done for being thrifty nit everyone has the cash to pay full price. I love collecting little bits throughout the year too.

Forsythia and Ali08

Hahahaha, i am going to put my hand up to being in the Batty club too hahahahaha.

We watch our pennies,its an ingrained habit from having very little years ago. It does mean I can buy more for the family than if I’d paid full price. I guess I’ve just always done it.

Our tree has to be up for the 13th December (DD2 used to think it was up for her birthday), and everything is taken down on the 6th January

Ours normally come down on 1 January but this year we expect visitors on 2nd or 3rd Jan and I feel it would be rather rude to have taken everything down.

I'd find it a bit soulless to be buying presents for next Christmas now but I do try to remember to buy extra of favourite cards, whether our own or sent to us.

I admire your thriftiness Forsythia. It saves you money, or
allows you a bit extra to spend on other things during the year. ?

Ali08

Forsythia

You reminded me of my batty old mum who was buying Christmas gifts one year, with a nagging feeling she had forgotten something.
Come January she was reminded what it was when she gave her linen cupboard a good clean out....all the gifts she had bought earlier in the previous year and had put away between sheets and towels etc, for safe keeping, and promptly forgotten about!! ??

You could be right ! I might be a bit batty? I just buy now to store away so we can watch our budgets come next year. Funny enough I know a few who do the same.

Forsythia

You reminded me of my batty old mum who was buying Christmas gifts one year, with a nagging feeling she had forgotten something.
Come January she was reminded what it was when she gave her linen cupboard a good clean out....all the gifts she had bought earlier in the previous year and had put away between sheets and towels etc, for safe keeping, and promptly forgotten about!! ??

Our decorations don't go up until the week before Christmas and they get taken down on 6th Jan.

I’ve also bought cards for next year. Plus a few presents in the sale for putting away.

Taking down tree and decorations today. All put away and looking forward to 1st January

Well done. All my rituals are done once Boxing Day is over except for taking down all the decorations and thoroughly cleaning the house on 1st January.