Was it always this bare?!

I put my cards on a ‘tree’ which keeps them tidy and I can enjoy them.

i took mine down on the 28th .still have the twinkly lights up at the window but they be down tomorrow ..i actually have holly berry light over my mirror all year round so they look good and i can put them on when i feel low..

I'm quite happy leaving it to early January - I can't see the dust so it doesn't exit!! When it's all cleared I shall have to do some dusting. In our last house I would thread a long bit of large tinsel through the bannisters. The tinsel did an excellent job of cleaning them

No keep them up until 6/1 it’s always sad taking the tree down miss the little cheerful coloured lights otherwise it looks cleaner and tidy again.

Ours stay up until 6th, that is when Xmas ends, not boxing day or even new year, though I fully understand that those who are working will probably take them down this weekend. I always looked forward to coming home to them after the first dreary return to work days in the new year, and I'm now keeping to that for my son who has to go out to work some days of the week. And, apart from a dustpan and brush to deal with a few crumbs, it's a holiday from housework as well and a thorough dust and hoover will be done after all the decorations have been taken down.

When everybody began to put their trees/decorations up back in October, I did voice the opinions that

1. they'd get full of dust
2. they'd become a nuisance
3. everywhere would look extremely 'bare' when they came back down again.

Just watch for the shortages on paint/wallpaper in the next couple of weeks as people raid B&Q / Homebase / Wilkos etc to start the decorating and making homes look brighter again!

I think we'll take ours down on Sunday. It's a little early but we are all back to work on Monday. I think it's sad when people want to take it all down on or soon after boxing Day. BD is after all on the second day of Christmas.

I never take my decorations down until 12th night, and I agree, the house looks really bare once they have been put away. I might leave a couple up this year just to give a bit of cheer after the awfulness of 2920.
I’m going to buy something special for V-day (vaccination day).

I am amazed at all these people taking their decorations down before twelfth night. Have they no fear of bad luck? Though I wait, I am usually glad to take them down as they begin to look very tacky and tasteful minimalism begins to seem attractive This year, though I will be glad to get rid of the cards, tree etc, I am wondering if I should keep some of the strings of lights up. It is dark and dismal in the world at the moment and there is nobody to see inside our house but ourselves. But this may also bring bad luck, I fear. I know it is irrational but I am of superstitious Highland stock.

Twelfth night definitely. Luckily didn’t put up as many decorations as normal, fewer to take down.
Chaitriona I have lights behind voile curtains in my dining room. They never come down and brighten up any celebration.

I would normally take them down by twelfth night, but have decided to leave them for a few weeks longer, the nearer to Feb the better for cheer and sparkle.✨

Chaitriona yes, it’s irrational and superstitious, so leave them long as you want to.?

Ours are staying up until twelfth night. It's gloomy enough as it is at this time of year with dark, cold days and long nights that seem to go on forever, that the cheer of the lights help to lift the gloom a bit, and boy, have we needed something to help us this year, especially. Once they are down, its lots of pretty lamps and candles to help lift the spirits a bit.

I wasn't able to get out my Xmas decs this year. My cleaner/helper should have come on the 21st and I'd wanted her to clean round, and get the little tree and box of decs out of the garage for me. Oh! and deliver cards to my three neighbours. But she didn't come.
So no tree,etc, no cards to neighbours - couldn't phone them either
SO, I've got to find a home help service as soon as offices open. My illness is progressive & I really need reliable help now.
So that's my target for 2001.
Shame, tho.

12th night for us here...nearly 12th month before they get back into the loft! It drives me mad.

Catlover that’s a gorgeous idea and I’m stealing for next year!

We seem to have had more cards this year, from people who don’t normally send cards, although have also not heard from other people, which is a bit concerning. I had some up on a sideboard until I put the rest of the decs up and I then moved the cards and letters into a pretty basket so people could look through them.

glammanana
"will have to wait until the week-end when DGS can come" How??? Which tier if in the UK....
Or very lucky if not

Mine will come down on Monday, usually leave it till the 6th, so not much difference. Hate the bareness of the room so may re-arrange things for a change. Then Hoover over and dust.

I like putting them up and taking them down in equal measure ? ours will come down tomorrow, New Years Day.

Hate Christmas.

I love receiving cards at any time. I keep a big stack of old ones in my bedside table. They're useful as bookmarks and the blank sides are great for writing lists. Also it's heartwarming to re-read kind messages and think "Someone out there cares about me"!

Mine stay up until 6th January (my birthday). My mother found it very economical to combine all the celebrations with one set of decorations when I was young. So I follow her example and enjoy them for as long as I can. Witzend is right the house looks so dull when the tree and trimmings have gone and this year I have gone green and my tree will be repotted into the garden. Happy New year to all

grannysue05 My Mother always thought it was unlucky if any Xmas decorations were left up after 12th night and was most diligent in clearing them all. In 1983 my Father died on 6th January and the following day she found a small piece of holly she had over looked......... I am MOST careful to get everything put away before 6th !!

The Queen keeps hers up till February, doesn't she? And she doesn't get bad luck.

Oh, wait a minute......

I love the house being back to normal so clean and clutter free although I left a string of lights on my fireplace with sprigs of artificial eucalyptus through them and it looks lovely. Also have a tall vase in my window with a bunch of it in it too.