# Is your Christmas tree still up? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 3, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333 "2003-01-03T01:36:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/41 "2003-01-04T01:11:57Z")
Funny, I’m another one who _just_ took her tree down. Normally I like to take it down on New Year’s Day, but I was too hung over this year. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/42 "2003-01-04T03:37:20Z")
Yes. Well, sort of. We take a leisurely pace in bringing it down; often taking more than a day to do it. Right now the lights are being taken off. Then we’re going to disassemble it, fold the branches up, box it, and store the plastic sucker until next year. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/43 "2003-01-04T03:49:34Z")
Mine only went up on the 21st of Dec…and was down on the 27th…but not because of my efforts this year. Normally the tree hangs around until the end of Jan because I can’t be stuffed de-decorating and cleaning up the damned pine needles that resist even the most powerful vacuum cleaner and/or nimble fingers. But we wimped out this time and bought a fake one. And one of the kids decided the best way to dismantle it was to just chuck it under the stairs, decorations and all: then next year we bring it out and voila…! D’ya see me arguing? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/44 "2003-01-04T05:25:32Z")
Ours comes down on the weekend of Mrs. Z’s birthday. (Jan 19th) So I have some good tree time left. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/45 "2003-01-04T07:09:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rue DeDay \* > \*\*Our tree stays up til Epiphany (and goes up the day after Thanksgiving). Or until it’s convenient to take it down. (This year it looks like it’s coming down Sunday instead of waiting it out til Monday. So it goes.) > -Rue. \*\* Ye Gods! All this time my mom (who labels herself "a recovering Catholic) has been following some sort of rule and never told us about it? :eek: Of course I’ve never questioned _why_ she insists that the tree goes up the weekend after Thanksgiving, or why it comes down about a week after New Years, so part of the ignorance is my fault. ---
**Author:** ![kiffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d78d45/32.png) [@kiffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiffa)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/46 "2003-01-04T07:22:27Z")
Although we moved this past summer, our stuff [including christmas tree and decorations] didn’t make it out of customs until Tuesday the 24th of December. our daughter and her friends quickly decorated the tree and tv room, but not much else in the house. When I was young, mom used to insist that the tree come down on new year’s day, but it all seemed so quick this year. I like the idea of keeping the tree up until at least Epiphany. Maybe we’ll start a new tradition or is this just an excuse to keep the red/gold decorations up for a bit while longer? ---
**Author:** ![verifier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e480ec/32.png) [@verifier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/verifier)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/47 "2003-01-04T23:01:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*There are **12 Days of Christmas** , as you may have heard. Dec. 25 is only the first day of Christmas. Christmas is not over until the Feast of the Epiphany on Jan. 6. The decorations stay up until then! \*\* I don’t know much about religious traditions, but I always knew we’re supposed to take it down on January 6th. I remember my mom saying that was the day the Three Wise Men brought the gifts, or something like it. So that’s when we take it down. ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/48 "2003-01-04T23:15:13Z")
The plastic’s down. Whoo. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/49 "2003-01-05T03:20:29Z")
I like Christmas trees, but not as much as you guys. I put mine up the day after Thanksgiving and take it down the day after Christmas. Before I had kids, I put it up the weekend before Christmas and took it down Christmas afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![richardb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/96bed5/32.png) [@richardb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richardb)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/50 "2003-01-05T04:02:51Z")
Yes. The wife has mentioned something to me about taking down the decorations and doing something with the tree. Personally, I am inclined to wait until the cat has taken all the ornaments down first, but as is usually the case, my opinion won’t count for much. The tree will probably come down Monday or Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![LtningBug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/73ab20/32.png) [@LtningBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LtningBug)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/51 "2003-01-15T08:59:17Z")
I didn’t get a Christmas tree, since I’m in an apt. by myself and wasn’t home for the week around Christmas, but I did decorate my houseplant, Harold. He’s still decorated, and will probably stay that way for a while (or until he finally completely dies, he’s just barely hanging in there now). ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/52 "2003-01-21T17:20:18Z")
We took our tree down yesterday. Now the living room seems so much bigger but the cats are not happy about losing a prime napping place. Now they have to settle for one of the windows, the couch, the love seat, the bed, and the shelf above the computer desk that was built especially for them. ---
**Author:** ![Witch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Witch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Witch)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/53 "2003-01-21T19:38:40Z")
I still have my kitchen and family room decorated. But I also have one hand in a cast 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/54 "2003-01-21T19:41:40Z")
I don’t think we ever put our Christmas tree _up_, but God help us the tacky Christmas lights outside our house sure are, and according to mum and dad, will stay up until Chinese New Year. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/55 "2003-01-22T12:51:16Z")
My mother’s been asking me the same question every day. Yes, it’s still up, although I took the outside lights down last week. I’ll probably start taking it down today or tomorrow. My mother, however, believes the Christmas tree should be up until Epiphany (Jan. 6 for most Christians) “or else, how will the wise men be able to find the manger?” Yep, she knows it’s not rational, either, and I think she was rather amused to realize she had that notion. On the other hand, it shouldn’t stay up long after Jan. 6th because it’s no longer Christmas. CJ ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333/56 "2003-01-23T06:02:20Z")
Took it down, New Years Day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-christmas-tree-still-up/146333.md?page=2)