When do you take down Holiday decorations?

[Rockinruby]

I'm wondering when the best time is to remove Holiday decorations? I tend to take them down as my work schedule allows.
Please feel free to share photos of your Holiday decorations. Do you collect any ornaments or holiday related collectibles?
I just happened to come across some Radko ornaments that were marked 50% off.

Here are popular dates to take down the tree along with the reason why:

Many believe you will have bad luck the following year if you take your tree down before December 31.

December 31: Take your tree down on New Year's Eve before the bells toll at midnight. Otherwise it's said you'll be dragging all your baggage and bad luck from last year into the new year... if you're superstitious about these things, that is.

January 5: Take your tree down on this day, traditionally considered the Twelfth Day of Christmas – i.e. the last of twelve days of Christmas merriment. Think of it as getting closure on the Holiday season.

January 6: Take it down on January 6 in observance of the Epiphany. Again, some would say leaving your tree up beyond the 5th or 6th brings bad luck.

 

[Gypsy]

Well, I am probably going to take it down after next weekend. I don't know when. The 5th or 6th I think.

I don't really buy into superstitious things like that.

I collect Christmas ornaments. Nice ones, usually glass or crystal. Some are porcelain or other material. I've been collecting since I was twelve. It's really the only thing I collect.

 

[Queenie60]

I'll begin the long process of taking my decorations down this week. Little by little! I collect German Nutcrackers and have several of them.

 

[sonnyjane]

Usually after New Years but I actually took mine down today. Our tree dried out REALLY quick this year and was starting to look "blah", so I just took it down.

 

[OreoRosies86]

It comes down New Year's Day every year.

 

[missy]

About a week after New Year's Day. There is no set schedule for us. When we had a real tree we were more motivated because it kept shedding and was a mess. With our artificial tree it is so much easier.

 

[marymm]

I like to keep my tree and decorations up through Jan 6th, the Day of Epiphany, but depending on tree condition and holiday travel plans this has varied through the years. [I don't believe in good luck/bad luck as it relates to the timing of holiday decoration removal.]

 

[Mayk]

Took it all down yesterday. Lots going on this week and I didn't want it hanging over my head as something I needed to do.

 

[packrat]

Took it all down last night. Usually it stays up until JD brings the tote up for me and then he puts the tree away after I take everything off. This is of course dependent on someone doing his part first...One year I got pissed in February and stuck it out in the garage and put a ginormous garbage bag over it. This year we got a new tree (shorter, flocked, w/red berries and white lights and for the FIRST time ever since I've started celebrating I *loved* how the tree turned out and was SO happy!) and the box was handy so I did it all myself after asking three times for someone else to do it.

I did just yesterday get two new signs that I'd had a friend make for me, (w/Elf quotes) so I'm leaving those out for a little bit since I didn't get a chance to have them out at all.

 

[momhappy]

I don't buy into superstitions and I don't have a set date when I take the decorations down. I take them down some time after the new year and whenever the mood strikes me.

 

[lambskin]

I have started taking down tablescape and mantle decor on Christmas night-everyone has left and the dishes done. I save the tree for last as each ornament is individually wrapped. I usually have the tree out on the parkway before the first pick up. This year I took all decorationsn down -but tree- yesterday but it is all piled on the dining room table-I have to get new storage bins as they seem to crack each year. I will do the tree this weekend but will start removing the ornaments during the week after work. My drop dead date for all vestiges of Christmas to be put away is when the maid comes-as she does the deep cleaning.

 

[AprilBaby]

It's so dark and dreary last year I left the tree lights up till February.

 

[luv2sparkle]

Today!!! It's all down, sitting on my dining room table for the most part. I have do get all the boxes down from the garage and pack it up.
Hubby will disassemble the tree tomorrow.

 

[kenny]

Nothing to take down.

 

[UrsTx]

At work, we take down the tree before Dec 31 because we have one very superstitious employee who bugs us until we do it. It's the "bad luck the next year" reasoning.

At home, we take it down the weekend after Epiphany.

 

[lambskin]

All but tree so far....

 

[PattyCo]

I've never heard of these dates to have the decorations down. We put the tree up and decorate the house the first weekend in December because the rest of the month gets pretty busy and flies by. To keep the children from dreading it we make a party of it complete with a cheese and cracker tray, "Sparkling Cider", fancy glasses, and Christmas music. The first weekend of January, if it's not New Years day, we take it down. By then we are all partied out so it's more like, "Lets just get this over with." LOL!

 

[Rockinruby]

Thank you for all the input! I had never heard of the datess/superstitions until I came across it recently. It turns out that the best day to take down my decorations will be this Sunday. Yay! I get to enjoy the new ornaments I got for Christmas a few days longer!

 

[Jambalaya]

Everyone takes them down so soon! I leave mine up till the beginning of February. My record was April. I just got used to the tree and stopped seeing it. That was exceptional though - these days I don't go much past end Jan/beginning of Feb. And really that's only because I've lived in such an Arctic place in recent years that the decorations seem to go so well with the snow.

 

[telephone89]

I leave my lights up all year

Tree will come down this weekend.

 

[AdaBeta27]

Russian Christmas Is Jan 7. I'm not Russian, but many here are, and the Christmas trees and candles in windows generally stay up through the first week of the new year. I took down garland and wreaths Dec 26 morning before all the rains and high winds hit.

My cats enjoy lying under the Christmas trees. That's another reason why I tend to leave the trees up for a while.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Our natural tree came with unwanted live creatures, hence it got tossed--early.

The fake tree will stay for a while--but other decorations will get taken down on Sunday.

cheers--Sharon

 

[KaeKae]

About a week after New Year's Day. There is no set schedule for us. When we had a real tree we were more motivated because it kept shedding and was a mess. With our artificial tree it is so much easier.

This, or the weekend after Epiphany.

This year, the tree seems so BIG. I think it's has to do with where I chose to put it, in the living room window. It looks great from outside, but I should have tucked it into the corner, as I did last year.

So, if I can drum up the energy, I may start undressing the tree today. But, I will take my time on the rest scattered around the house.

 

[monarch64]

HI:

Our natural tree came with unwanted live creatures, hence it got tossed--early.

The fake tree will stay for a while--but other decorations will get taken down on Sunday.

cheers--Sharon

Yikes! My parents used to get live trees every year, but switched to all artificial after 2 consecutive years of live tree disasters. The first was a tree full of tiny, baby spiders. The second was a tree that leaked sap all over my mom's beloved ornaments she had been collecting for years. I remember helping her take off every ornament, placing them all on trays, and spending weeks trying to clean all the sap off. Most were salvaged but several were beyond cleaning and she was so sad. I've never purchased a live tree due to those mishaps. Sorry you had critters in yours!

Our decorations are still up. I'm waiting to take everything down on Monday, when my little one goes back to preschool. It's hard to do takedown in an organized fashion when 3 year olds want to "help" mommy. One of her classmates stayed with us a couple days this week while his parents worked (preschool was closed for holiday break) and he was SO DELIGHTED that our trees were still up because his family took theirs down Dec. 26. It was so cute!

Years past I've usually taken everything down New Year's Day. I put them up around Dec. 1, so after a month I'm usually ready for a change in decor.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Our natural tree came with unwanted live creatures, hence it got tossed--early.

The fake tree will stay for a while--but other decorations will get taken down on Sunday.

cheers--Sharon

Yikes! My parents used to get live trees every year, but switched to all artificial after 2 consecutive years of live tree disasters. The first was a tree full of tiny, baby spiders. The second was a tree that leaked sap all over my mom's beloved ornaments she had been collecting for years. I remember helping her take off every ornament, placing them all on trays, and spending weeks trying to clean all the sap off. Most were salvaged but several were beyond cleaning and she was so sad. I've never purchased a live tree due to those mishaps. Sorry you had critters in yours!

Monnie:

I give your Mom a lot of credit! In my own home, we've had live trees for 30 years and also grew up with them, and have never had an issue. But it only takes ONCE! My son was so sad.....but I must admit the two replacement (fake) trees are really nice!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Garnetgirl]

Always a real tree, but cut and decorated just a few days before Christmas. Because it's fresh, I don't worry about keeping it a while. It never comes down before Epiphany - gotta have those 12 days of Christmas.
I've sometimes kept a tree until nearly the end of January!

 

[Rockinruby]

HI:

Our natural tree came with unwanted live creatures, hence it got tossed--early.

The fake tree will stay for a while--but other decorations will get taken down on Sunday.

cheers--Sharon

Yikes! My parents used to get live trees every year, but switched to all artificial after 2 consecutive years of live tree disasters. The first was a tree full of tiny, baby spiders. The second was a tree that leaked sap all over my mom's beloved ornaments she had been collecting for years. I remember helping her take off every ornament, placing them all on trays, and spending weeks trying to clean all the sap off. Most were salvaged but several were beyond cleaning and she was so sad. I've never purchased a live tree due to those mishaps. Sorry you had critters in yours!

Our decorations are still up. I'm waiting to take everything down on Monday, when my little one goes back to preschool. It's hard to do takedown in an organized fashion when 3 year olds want to "help" mommy. One of her classmates stayed with us a couple days this week while his parents worked (preschool was closed for holiday break) and he was SO DELIGHTED that our trees were still up because his family took theirs down Dec. 26. It was so cute!

Years past I've usually taken everything down New Year's Day. I put them up around Dec. 1, so after a month I'm usually ready for a change in decor.

Wow! So glad you posted this. I never thought about the sap getting on the ornaments! I have collected ornaments for years and would be so upset if this happened. I can't blame your Mom for being sad about it. If we get any real trees in future then I will just have to put other inexpensive ornaments on it. Thank you for sharing this story.

 

[AprilBaby]

Well, I spent all day New Year's Day taking every scrap of Christmas down and cleaning the house. Bring on Spring!!!!

 

[ihy138]

Our little table-top tree is staying up for a while. We haven't done a full-sized tree in a couple of years. I usually take decorations down the second week of January, but my record is the end of February. I always put decorations out later than most, though. I adore the light of the tree and I do have a small collection of vintage and whimsical ornaments.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

I generally do it on Jan. 2, however I had my nails done today and decided to give them time to really set; it's scheduled to come down tomorrow.