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.
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.”
No, it’s just happy to see you.
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.
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.
Even if our excuse is that we’re Jewish and don’t celebrate Christmas?
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. 
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.