I have a confession. I usually get the tree, fake, down by Epiphany. We don’t decorate outside, unless you count the enclosed porch. This year, I stripped the tree of ornaments and lights, but put it away still standing, (covered in plastic). I just decided that was the part that made it so much work, the straightening and fluffing up of the branches after being packed in the box. So this year, it went back into the attic, still up. We’ll see how it works out next year. I was this close to throwing the box away, but a friend, wisely pointed out maybe I should keep it, just in case.
I also own a lovely Christmas village, complete with everything you could ever want, collected over the years, I used to be mad for it. Haven’t put it up in about 5 years now. Maybe I’m getting old. Perhaps I’ll find the time next year, having saved so much time what with not fussing over the tree.
I really wanted to decorate outside more than inside, because December in Canada is such a dark time - we really need bright, sparkly lights then. Unfortunately we had a major cold snap right when we were trying to get the lights up, and it just didn’t happen this year.
I leave the decorations up until Epiphany (Jan 5). All the indoor ones have come down and are put away, but it’s been really cold so I haven’t taken down the lights outside yet. We don’t turn them on, though.
My tree is still up. I might take it down this weekend, if I don’t find anything better to do. We haven’t turned the lights on in a while, though. I just don’t look at it and don’t make/have the time to deal with it at the moment.
I put them up earleir than any of you, I think. Mine go up the weekend of Thanksgiving. So they come down, not necessarily by the 1st, but usually the first weekend in the New Year.
I take the decorations down while I’m still on vacation, so I can do it slowly. This year I finished up on Dec 31. (I had to be back to work on Jan 4th.)
Wait. I voted that the tree was still up, but, apparently my father decided to take the tree down today since he got a paid day off from work. (Full story in spoiler.) I didn’t even notice it was gone.
He had to get a ride with a coworker because his car is in the shop. But the coworker didn’t arrive until the time they were supposed to already be there. The big boss happened to be there today, and told them they all had to go home (as the coworker and another were chronically late.) But Dad’s boss, who knew the situation, was able to negotiate my Dad a paid vacation day, since it wasn’t really his fault. Heck, he normally arrives 30 minutes early, at least.)
