# It's January 10. Take down your Christmas decorations **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 10, 2009, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646 "2009-01-10T06:11:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/41 "2009-01-11T04:16:02Z")
We finished taking the tree down last night, and it went out to the shed, along with a few odds and ends, this morning. I always thought one of the advantages of an artificial tree was that it doesn’t shed needles. Boy, was I wrong! We had those dratted things all over the house. I don’t honestly know how it still has any on it, it sheds so badly. Makes Charlie Brown’s little tree look good, it does. But it’s all down and put away, so there. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/42 "2009-01-11T05:00:32Z")
> [@](#): > > multiple inflatable Santas and Jesus’ and Frosty’s A nitpick but the plural of Jesus is Jesi, as in _“Hey, I hear Kmart’s having a sale on inflatable Jesi. Let’s go stock up for next year.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/43 "2009-01-11T05:19:08Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Does your tree have a pickle? No, it’s just happy to see you. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/44 "2009-01-11T22:01:00Z")
> [@Creaky](#): > > But you know, by not being able to find your house without Xmas lights and asking people to keep them up Post-Holiday to assist you in finding your domicile… well, you’re what we call Part of the Problem. 😃 I suppose I’m even worse. We’re still using an Obama campaign sign to tell people where to turn for the alley in back of our house, where our garage is. We’re hoping the people who put it up leave it up. > [@Little Nemo](#): > > You can do whatever you want inside the sanctity of your home. Keep a Christmas tree up indoors all year and it’s nobody’s problem except your long-suffering spouse’s. > > But lawn decorations? No, now you’re out on public display. What about electric menorahs in the window? They’re inside the house, but the purpose of a menorah in the window is to publicize the miracle of Hanukkah, so arguably they’re on public display. We would have had a real menorah in that front window, but the cats like to sit on the radiator under the window. Putting a menorah with candles somewhere that the cats frequent seemed to be asking for trouble. At any rate, I took them all down last night. > [@ExTank](#): > > > [@Aspidistra](#): > > > > We didn’t put up Christmas decorations in our house this year. > > > > What do I win? > > Damnation and eternal suffering by fellating an inflatable Jesus for all eternity. Even if our excuse is that we’re Jewish and don’t celebrate Christmas? ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/45 "2009-01-11T23:15:25Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > I suppose I’m even worse. We’re still using an Obama campaign sign to tell people where to turn for the alley in back of our house, where our garage is. We’re hoping the people who put it up leave it up. Okay, even as an uptight, stick-up-the-ass conservative, I think that’s funny. And luckily for you Ms. Neville, we of the Festive And Religious Timely Enjoyment of Displays Division (that’s FARTEDD to you private-sector folks) are primarily concerned with holiday decorations. Remember, politicians come and go, but tacky holiday displays are forever. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![UncleNito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7cd45c/32.png) [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/46 "2009-01-11T23:36:39Z")
_snort_ I still have an (uncarved) pumpkin sitting on my stoop. At this point I’m thinking of just carefully nudging it into the bushes. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/47 "2009-01-12T00:52:59Z")
I was going to mention my pumpkin, but thought I had better not. It’s only 6 inches big but it’s the one that grew in my garden. The funny thing is it was supposed to be one that grows to 100 pounds. That’s what a flood does to your soil. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/48 "2009-01-12T01:11:03Z")
Yeah, pumpkins can last quite awhile if you don’t carve them, or they don’t freeze solid then defrost. Otherwise, they become compost pretty quick. I didn’t get pumpkins last year, but I’ve some other autumn decorative stuff, like dried elefantengras, dried ornamental corn, and some fall gourds. I’ll likely keep that stuff 'til it’s getting on spring, then toss them out to the birds & squirrels. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/49 "2009-01-12T02:20:10Z")
Hmm. After reading the last couple of posts, I think we may have to implement a Fall Decoration/Hallloween Police Branch as well. My God. So much perfidy, so little time! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/50 "2009-01-12T02:56:30Z")
> [@Library\_Boy](#): > > Candlemass was the time in old England that Christmas greens had to be taken down by or risk bad luck. Sometime around Feb 2 I think. This. They celebrate “La Candelaria” here in February 2nd. This is normally when the decoration is stored and the tree is burned. Yes, burned. It is an important part of the festivity it seems. This is all new to me and I have no idea where this comes from. I have been lobbying my wife to take the thing down since the 7th, one day after 3 Kings. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/51 "2009-01-12T04:32:41Z")
Indoor decorations are gone today. The house looks drab without them, yet has a “quieter”, less cluttered feel. Sapo, on the feast of La Chandeleur (Candlemas), Feb. 2nd, is the day my mom had us take down the decorations. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/52 "2009-01-12T20:57:05Z")
Nah, the tree is staying up for a little while… probably at least until next weekend. Because I like having it - it makes me happy (and it’s fake, so it won’t dry out). And since I was in exams until Dec 18, then out of the country from Dec 21-28 and not in my home at all Jan 1-5, and we just had our party with friends this weekend, well I figure since I didn’t get to enjoy the tree before and during Christmas, I’ll enjoy it now! Christmas isn’t a date… it’s a state of mind! ---
**Author:** ![beanpod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9adbd/32.png) [@beanpod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beanpod)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/53 "2009-01-12T22:23:46Z")
I agree, in principle. But. Everyone in my house has been sick. And we’re lazy. We’ll get to it next week. 😛 We don’t plug the lights in anymore, though. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/54 "2009-01-12T22:26:29Z")
By the way… On this whole Inflateable Jesus thing, am I alone in imagining this is a “Wacky-Wavy-Arm-Flailing” Inflateable Jesus? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646/55 "2009-01-12T23:26:09Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > By the way… > > On this whole Inflateable Jesus thing, am I alone in imagining this is a “Wacky-Wavy-Arm-Flailing” Inflateable Jesus? Snerk. I saw an inflatable creche on one lawn. There was a blow-up Mary and Jesus, a blow-up manger and an inflatable Jesus baby in the manger. Bizarre, I tell you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-january-10-take-down-your-christmas-decorations/480646.md?page=2)