...Take down your Christmas Tree?

We have always done it New Years day while watching the Rose Bowl parade.

According to the website "SheKnows":

December 31: Take your tree down on New Year's Eve before the bells toll at midnight. Otherwise it's said you'll be dragging all your baggage and bad luck from the old year into the new year ... if you're superstitious about these things, that is.

January 5: Take your tree down on this day, traditionally considered the Twelfth Day of Christmas – i.e. the last of twelve days of Christmas merriment. Think of it as getting closure on the Holiday season.

January 6: Take it down on January 6 in observance of the Epiphany, a Christian holiday marking the revelation of God in human form, in the person of Jesus. Again, some would say leaving your tree up beyond the 5th or 6th brings bad luck.

My mom believed in #1 up there.

My grandparents were Irish, and didn't receive their gifts until Epiphany, when the Wise Men gave Jesus his gifts. So, even though we followed the American practice of gifts on Christmas, we kept the house decorated until January 6. I used to insist on this, though my wife wanted to get it all cleaned up earlier. I've relented, and this year everything is coming down this weekend, if not sooner. Once the kids left Sunday and Monday, Christmas was over for me.

My husband took off a little early today to go home and take the lights down off of the house while it's sunny (and 39 degrees). I asked him why he didn't wait until Thursday when it's supposed to be sunny and a little warmer and he said it was bad luck to keep them up on January 1st. I had never heard of that.

given my druthers I would have it taken down christmas afternoon ... but I held off this year until the day after christmas

We take down New Years Day but this year we took down early. The tree dried out really bad this year and stopped soaking up the water so took down early.

The last few years, we've taken off Dec. 26th and done it then. Had to work this year, and hosted some family on the 27th, so waited until Sunday to take it down. I took down 95% of the rest of the stuff last night and the hubby & son got the outside stuff down while the weather was nice yesterday.

We don't do artificial trees, so I am always ready to be done with pine needles. I'd never last until January!

I like leaving the tree up for a week, or so after Christmas. My family always waited until the 6th growing up.

I remember we had a neighbor who would have everything torn down, and the tree on the curb by noon on Christmas day.

The bank lobby looks nice. I hate to see it all go.

We had no decorations at our house this year as we are doing a remodel and the house has been upside down.

Normally, we take down the Christmas Tree and decorations the weekend after New Years.

Trees (yes, plural) get taken down whenever the wife gets the ornaments off. This has ranged from first thing on 12/26 to the weekend following New Years. I'm certain it would be bad luck to take them down prior to the ornament removal and the packing up of the miles of garland and assorted knicknacks, or to attempt to do any of the packing work myself.

Now, as far as traditions and superstitions go, Santa traditionally slips a nice bottle of bourbon into my stocking each Christmas and I always make sure that the contents of that bottle get taken down before the bell tolls midnight on New Year's Eve. I have no idea if it would bring bad luck otherwise, but why chance it, right?

I blame the quick teardowns on the retailers and the commercialization of Christmas. It all starts so early that we're sick of Christmas by the time it finally gets here.

Years ago, when it was still mostly a religious holiday, people waited until it was nearly Christmas to decorate. I know many people would wait until after the fourth Sunday of Advent to go all out on the Christmas stuff.

I remember when I was very young Santa put up our tree. I believe after my younger brother was born (and my mother was 40) we started 'helping' Santa by putting the tree up for him.

We have always decorated (regardless of weather) on the weekend after Thanksgiving (artificial tree). And we have always taken everything down the first weekend after New Years Day (regardless of weather). If New Years Day happens to fall on a Sat or Sun, then it is still the next weekend before its all taken down.

So this Saturday, my happy rump will be scaling the side of the house, cursing freely, nearly falling, and trying to neatly roll and put away the lights for the first 5 minutes. After that I make no promises.

We wait until the Epiphany to remove the decor, says my 11 year old. She says that the 3 kings have to make their journey over from one side of the dining room to the other to our nativity set before the decorations can be put away. And since she's the one climbing in the attic now, to put it all away, who am I to argue?

She did most of the decorating this year, and maybe that's why I am not in any big hurry for the take down.

Things have started migrating to the dining room table to be ready to get packed away. I'll probably get all the misc decorations down tomorrow. Seeing as how I, like Bobby's wife, have to take the decorations off before Mr TR can take the tree down and I'm fighting a miserable cold, the tree will likely be up till Sunday. It's a fake tree so I'm not fighting needles, etc.

My mother's real tree upstairs in her area will be up at least till Epiphany and maybe even till her birthday on the 14th. Hey, at 88, she can keep the dang thing as long as she likes.

After Jan 1st. My mother always told us that it was bad luck to take it down before then. So we will be packing it all up this weekend.

Against tradition, we took it all down yesterday. I wanted the outdoor stuff down before the predicted all day rain tomorrow, and so we did the indoor stuff too. The house always looks shockingly bare when we first take down everything.

I wanted to be able to safely navigate the living and diningg rooms again so we ended up getting most everything down and packed away yesterday afternoon. All that is left are the couple things I missed on the mantle and the stuff I have to find boxes for because it multiplied while out and wouldn't fit back into the boxes it came out of.

The twelve days of Christmas begin on Dec. 25th, so I’m always a little disheartened when I see trees curbside in December. I’ve always been taught that as Christians, we should not be taking down our Christmas decorations until Christmas is over, meaning until Three Kings’ Day aka Epiphany, which falls on Jan. 6th, celebrated as the time the three kings visited the Nativity. If your nativity scene is already back in your garage on that day, your timing on Christmas decorations seems a little off, to me.

But our Christian rules on Christmas tree takedown timing are ironic considering that the use of an evergreen tree to celebrate at this time of year predates Christianity, with the tree previously having been a pagan symbol used to celebrate winter solstice. Dec. 25th was adopted as the precise date for Christmas by the early church so that the Christian celebration could replace an existing pagan holiday.

And yes, sigh, to save the merry jokesters some time, I’ll point out that both pagans and crispy brown Christmas trees (as fire hazards) might kill ya.

Funny you point out the "Christian Epiphany". Being raised in a conservative Christian home (Non-denominational Bob Jones affiliated church), I had never heard of the Epiphany until this year (We now have Catholic radio in our town). Until listening to it this year, I didn't know the 12 days of Christmas started on Christmas, and that there was a Epiphany that symbolizes the 3 kings arrival.

You are not alone, DD...I didn't realize all the details either!

I have left my winter creatures out and they will stay out until Spring arrives. All my snowmen, penquins and my new addition this year...the MOOSE :D, will all be out and about sitting around different places.

I have failed you. Sorry DD!! (And is it "Relevant Radio?" Awesome!)

I am raising my kids in a traditional christian home and we don't do any of it. Which means there is nothing to take down. Well, we do put up drippy looking icicle lights because my at the time 5 year old really liked them.

Part of it is that yeah, we don't celebrate pagan holidays even if they have been retitled "Christian" and the other part....I'm lazy.

Just look at the symbolism in the song "12 Days of Christmas"

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 1, Christmas Day, December 25
A Partridge in a Pear Tree
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . . ." (Luke 13:34)

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 2, December 26
Two Turtle Doves
The Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 3, December 27
Three French Hens
The Three Theological Virtues: 1) Faith, 2) Hope, and 3) Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 4, December 28
Four Calling Birds
The Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 5, December 29
Five Gold Rings
The first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 6, December 30
Six Geese A-laying
The six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world (Genesis 1).

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 7, December 31
Seven Swans A-swimming
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1) prophecy, 2) ministry, 3) teaching, 4) exhortation, 5) giving, 6) leading, and 7) compassion (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11)

On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 8, January 1
Eight Maids A-milking
The eight Beatitudes: 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3) the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6) the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, 8) those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)

On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 9, January 2
Nine Ladies Dancing
The nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness,
6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 10, January 3
Ten Lords A-leaping
The ten commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make an idol; 3) Do not take God's name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet. (Exodus 20:1-17)

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 11, January 4
Eleven Pipers Piping
The eleven Faithful Apostles: 1) Simon Peter, 2) Andrew, 3) James, 4) John, 5) Philip, 6) Bartholomew, 7) Matthew, 8) Thomas, 9) James bar Alphaeus, 10) Simon the Zealot, 11) Judas bar James. (Luke 6:14-16). The list does not include the twelfth disciple, Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to the religious leaders and the Romans.

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Day 12, January 5
Twelve Drummers Drumming
The twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles' Creed: 1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into [censored] [the grave]. 5) On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 8) the holy catholic Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting.

Epiphany, January 6

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/music/12days.asp

Sorry to break it to you