According To Tradition - Christmas Decorations

I took my cards down on 2 January. I am going to enjoy my tree for one more night tonight and take it down tomorrow, 5th. But I don’t like the bare look, and the dark streets outside after the Christmas lights have gone.

Reluctantly started taking decorations down yesterday so by Saturday they will be put away.

In Germany we have a tradition of "Sternsinger" which is when the local altar boys dress up as the three Wise Men and come around the houses in groups of four or five, singing songs, saying a little poem and blessing the house. This is why you see * C M B * and the year written on many doors. They come around on the Saturday nearest 6 January.

So, until they had been, we would keep our decorations up, light the fire and make the house festive and cosy and invite them in when they came as they would be traipsing around in the cold all morning.

Since COVID, they stay outside the house and sing their songs there. But I still wouldn't dream of taking the decorations down before 6 Jan. They only go up a couple of days before Christmas although Advent decorations have been up since the first of Advent, so we like to get a couple of weeks' joy out of them.

My sister's birthday is on 6 Jan, and when we were little our mother always kept the decorations up for her birthday, especially if she was having a party.

Can anyone remember the gaudy garlands and paper chains we used to hang on the ceiling - fashions have changed so much in Christmas decorations over the decades.

Mine came down on New Year’s Eve. They looked very nice this year, but glad to see the back of them after the event.

As for the late Queen leaving hers up until a certain time. I would lay odds on that she was not taking them down herself, even in her younger days.

Like many of us, I expect she enjoyed decorating the tree, but the taking down was probably left to Backstairs Billy, or his equivalent.

👑

its easy. You put them up when you want to and take them down when you want to.

I have always taken mine down on Jan. 5th, but a crib may remain up until Candlemas on 4th February, as centuries ago churchmen trying to get over the differences in the Gospels' account, decided that it was not until about then that the Flight to Egypt took place.

To be honest, I don't think it matters a jot whether you leave them up to the 5th or 6th of January, or take them down before the New Year, which a lot of people do. In other words put them up and take them down when it suits you.

when i did put decorations and tree up, i took mine down on the 2nd as i felt it was over so they could be put away, i have not bothered with any decorations over the last 5 years, i am on my own now and have never been much of a christmas person, i did it over the years for others rather than myself, and no i am not a grinch, i do all the usual things buying cards and presents, my son works over christmas and my dil and kids go to her sisters, so decoration would just be for me.

Mine get put up on the first Sunday in Advent (or as closely after as I can manage. I have poor organisation skills ) and they come down on January 6th. My family’s tradition is to put them up on Christmas Eve and take them down on the 6th but I like to get some more enjoyment out of mine!

I took this sad photo last Sunday, before the New Year festivities.

I can’t help wonder why some people bother, especially after seeing your photo, mokryna.
What’s the point of putting them up Xmas Eve (or a few days before) and taking them down around the 27th? They take a lot of time to put up, so if they are a trouble, why put them up in the first place? Why boast that you’ve put them up Xmas Eve and taken them down again by the 27th? Better not to bother at all, surely? Is it some kind of race to be last to put up and first to take down, I wonder? Seems a bit stupid to me, if that’s the case.

I'm another 6th January person.
It was always 6th in our family - parents and grandparents too.

But ours only go up a few days before Christmas (and often on Christmas eve) so they aren't up for weeks on end.
I do love them inspite of all the effort involved.

Round here people cannot get trees up early enough. Go to our local Christmas tree farm after the first weekend in December and they are almost cleaned out. The trees are then up until about now - nearly a month.

I am de-Christmassing the house day by day and room by room.

JackyB

In Germany we have a tradition of "Sternsinger" which is when the local altar boys dress up as the three Wise Men and come around the houses in groups of four or five, singing songs, saying a little poem and blessing the house. This is why you see * C M B * and the year written on many doors. They come around on the Saturday nearest 6 January.

So, until they had been, we would keep our decorations up, light the fire and make the house festive and cosy and invite them in when they came as they would be traipsing around in the cold all morning.

Since COVID, they stay outside the house and sing their songs there. But I still wouldn't dream of taking the decorations down before 6 Jan. They only go up a couple of days before Christmas although Advent decorations have been up since the first of Advent, so we like to get a couple of weeks' joy out of them.

My sister's birthday is on 6 Jan, and when we were little our mother always kept the decorations up for her birthday, especially if she was having a party.

Can anyone remember the gaudy garlands and paper chains we used to hang on the ceiling - fashions have changed so much in Christmas decorations over the decades.

Yes JackyB ... I remember the concertina like paper trimmings, hanging from the ceiling by lots of drawing pins. In later years they became foil not paper.

I wonder if anyone still does.

6th for me. My theory is that, as Twelfth Night was historically the big party night, the decorations should be up for that night and taken down the next day. I count Christmas Day as 'first night' therefore 5th Jan is Twelfth Night so they come down on 6th. It really doesn't matter what people do, my sister took hers down on 27th, we all have our own traditions.

We are away from home so I’ll do it when we get back mid January. Usually I do it on the 12 th night.

Ziplok I think these tree were thrown out because the people had gone skiing the second week of the school holidays.

Welshy my daughter in her 30s made some of these last year and saved them to re-use this year.

NotSpaghetti

Welshy my daughter in her 30s made some of these last year and saved them to re-use this year.

Hi Notspghetti - Was that the paper chains or the concertina type trimmings?

& hung them from the ceiling?

They were paper chains Welshy - two sorts, her own and some from a kit with little Christmas trees on.

I made some paper paroles in several sizes this year to hang in a big window.
Some had "tails" some were plain like this one.

We follow the 5th January as Twelfth Night.

NotSpaghetti

They were paper chains Welshy - two sorts, her own and some from a kit with little Christmas trees on.

I made some paper paroles in several sizes this year to hang in a big window.
Some had "tails" some were plain like this one.

NotSpaghetti - Oh they are very pretty.

Yes I have seen the paper chains in some stores.

We’ve always put our tree and decorations up the week before Christmas. Everything came down yesterday - 4th. I worked at an Anglo Catholic Theological College and the tradition there was not to put the tree up until Christmas Eve and leave it until Candlemas.

All gone. Now to find the energy to clean up.

Ziplok

I can’t help wonder why some people bother, especially after seeing your photo, mokryna.
What’s the point of putting them up Xmas Eve (or a few days before) and taking them down around the 27th? They take a lot of time to put up, so if they are a trouble, why put them up in the first place? Why boast that you’ve put them up Xmas Eve and taken them down again by the 27th? Better not to bother at all, surely? Is it some kind of race to be last to put up and first to take down, I wonder? Seems a bit stupid to me, if that’s the case.

The putting up and taking down of decorations only has an effect of those living in the house so what does it matter to others when it is done.

I don't understand why you would think people are boasting if they only have them up a few days. I am not bragging when I say that I do not decorate my house at all.

My daughter is coming round today to assist with the mammoth task of taking down the 5 trees and wall decorations . Always a sad day. But the dogs will be thrilled as they get their armchair back so can gaze out of the window.

We've had them up since the 1st December and I love it.

I'll be moody and gloomy this evening!