# When will my neighbour take her Halloween decoration down? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 9, 2004, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909 "2004-12-09T12:58:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/1 "2004-12-09T12:58:49Z")
It’s December, and one of my neighbours STILL had a Halloween decoration up. Every time I pass it, it’s mocking me with it’s stupid grin, and it’s not like I can miss it. The thing is bright orange! I’ve decided to turn it into a game. So when do YOU think the decoration will come down? The winner gets… um… well nothing. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/2 "2004-12-09T13:55:51Z")
Jan 2, 10am. ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/3 "2004-12-09T13:57:41Z")
December 18, noon-ish. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/4 "2004-12-09T13:59:31Z")
The day after Christmas. It’s pulling double-duty this year. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/5 "2004-12-09T14:17:42Z")
I’m betting they stay up until after _next_ Halloween. Unless you’re in some kind of neighborhood where they fine people for having wrong-season decorations up too long. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/6 "2004-12-09T18:36:23Z")
You mean, some of you people who have neighbors who actually take decorations down? Lucky son-of-a-guns! Next thing you’ll tell me is that your neighbors don’t just make a pile in their front yard of Xmas trees from years past. ---
**Author:** ![nocturnal\_tick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nocturnal\_tick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nocturnal_tick)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/7 "2004-12-11T19:09:15Z")
I could say any time I wanted because I could just walk and take it down. 😛 But obviously I won’t…honestly… ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/8 "2004-12-12T00:11:06Z")
My neighbor still has fake spider webs in her trees. And now she has Christmas decorations up too. I’m so confused! ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/9 "2004-12-12T01:58:48Z")
Steal it and leave a ransom note. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/10 "2004-12-12T03:42:43Z")
> [@AngelicGemma](#): > > It’s December, and one of my neighbours STILL had a Halloween decoration up. meh…rookies. A few years ago I had a lighted santa in the front yard … until Easter. I didn’t have him illuminated after the Christmas holiday but he was standing proud none the less. Near Easter, I took a couple of white socks and tied them on his head for bunny ears and put an Easter basket on his arm. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/11 "2004-12-12T03:45:41Z")
You are going to feel really bad when you find out that your neighbor is lying dead in his house. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/12 "2004-12-12T03:54:04Z")
> [@velveeta](#): > > My neighbor still has fake spider webs in her trees. And now she has Christmas decorations up too. I’m so confused! See, if it were my Halloween decoration (that is, if I’d gotten around to decorating for Halloween this year), I’d be sorely tempted to just string Christmas lights on it and leave the whole mess up till Easter. I’m glad I live in an, um, relaxed neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/13 "2004-12-12T04:21:00Z")
There’s a house that I ride past on the schoolbus (yes, I’m a senior but I still ride the schoolbus) that has a big ghost made out of the lamp in front–it’s got a sheet draped over it, with black circles for the mouth and eyes. For Thanksgiving, they gave it a Pilgrim hat, and now it has a Santa hat. It’s really very strange looking. I bet it gets a party hat for New Year’s. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/14 "2004-12-12T04:21:04Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > meh…rookies. A few years ago I had a lighted santa in the front yard … until Easter. I didn’t have him illuminated after the Christmas holiday but he was standing proud none the less. > > Near Easter, I took a couple of white socks and tied them on his head for bunny ears and put an Easter basket on his arm. 😉 Why did you take him down after Easter then? The Fourth of July was right around the corner. The old guy is already red and white. All you needed was a blue bathing suit to convert him into the ultimate symbol of patriotism. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/15 "2004-12-12T05:59:47Z")
One of my customers in Philly has a neighbor way down the other end of the block whose house has no front yard at all. It is full of everything-Easter stuff, Memorial day stuff, halloween stuff, Thanksgiving stuff, Christmas stuff, and a half-dozen other holidays that I’ve not listed. If it is made of plastic, can blow in the wind, be plugged in, or just sit there, she has at least one of them, and they are all on permanent display, along with urns, trolls, chairs and tables, leering gargoyles, cutesy signs, reflecting spheres, and such. The kitsch police should cite her for poor taste above and beyond extremely tacky. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/16 "2004-12-12T12:15:32Z")
I see talking but I don’t see much guessing. 😉 I checked last night, and it was still there. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/17 "2004-12-13T04:10:07Z")
> [@AngelicGemma](#): > > The winner gets… um… well nothing. We need something to _motivate_ us, man! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/18 "2004-12-13T10:09:15Z")
My dearest just recently removed the remains of our jack-o-lanterns from the front yard. And Jack the Skeleton (who laid in wait in the tree branches on Halloween) has been laying on top of a black and orange rubbermaid on the porch with the other decorations gathered but not put away until a few days ago too (now it’s in my living room). The 5ft grim reaper was hanging on a coat rack in my living room. Tomorrow it all goes in the bins and down to the basement. Hey, it’s only Dec. 12. Not even 1/6 of the year has passed since the holiday. Tonight, we put up our Christmas trees: the actual Frasier Fir in the dining room (not enough room in the LR; Cinnamon Little has her own in fake purple mini tree with pink lights in her room; and a 6.5 ft tall white light one on the porch. Unfortunately, I’ve discovered I’m down to one light strand for the real tree. I may have to resort to using the orange and purple ones from Halloween. Thank goodness I didn’t put them away! 😉 - Hey, maybe I can put my fake spiders and webbing on the tree too! I do lurves me my creepy Halloween! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-my-neighbour-take-her-halloween-decoration-down/278909/19 "2004-12-13T14:46:16Z")
> [@velveeta](#): > > My neighbor still has fake spider webs in her trees. And now she has Christmas decorations up too. I’m so confused! How do you know they’re fake? Maybe she has a giant spider infestation. I’m reminded of a _Roseanne_ scene, where the guys are in the garage trying to untangle the christmas lights. Dan’s friend: You know, Dan, if you took a little more care when you put these things away, it’d be easier to set them up next time. Dan: Yeah, like that’s how I want to spend my Easter Sunday.