I like to de-Christmas my house right after Christmas. Boxing day if possible. I guess it’s my way of “getting back to normal”. But then, normal is not something I do very well — just ask my husband. Poor choice of words. Perhaps “getting back into routine” would be more appropriate. It seems like I’m not the only one who has this attitude. Below are the results of a facebook poll asking this questions: When do you put the Christmas tree down?
When should you put the Christmas tree down? I say whenever you like. Traditionally, the date the Christmas tree goes up, and down, surrounds the period from Advent to Epiphany. Trees were brought in and decorated on Christmas Eve (24 December) and then removed removed the day after twelfth night (6 January). This tradition does vary according to custom.
De-Christmas Tips
Christmas Lights: It’s interesting, when Christmas trees were going up in early December, there was quite a negative conversational buzz around untangling Christmas tree lights. I have had this problem before but no more. This is how I store my Christmas lights:
1. Tape the start of the cord to a piece of cardboard or a shoe box lid.
2. Wind cord completely around.
3. Tape the end of the cord to the cardboard.
I’m sure there is a special light-storing gizmo for sale somewhere but cardboard does the trick for me.
Christmas Decorations: I keep the original boxes for delicate Christmas decorations and I store other miscellaneous decorations in an old shoe box.
Christmas Sales:I buy Christmas paper and tags at the post Christmas sales to use for the next year. I pick up a few new Christmas decorations too.
Christmas Bags: Christmas paper gift bags are easily kept and re-used. Just fold into a flat state and keep in a box or drawer.
Christmas Tree: I can NEVER quite get the jolly tree pack in its box. I just shove it in and try to tape it up the best I can. I may need to invest in a Christmas tree storage bag.
Christmas Napery and Kitchenware:If the item is breakable, I wrap in paper and then everything Christmassy goes into the one big packing box.
The Christmas Box: I keep all my Christmas items in a tea chest size packing box. Since I’ve moved house — like — 100 times, I always have a spare one floating around. You can buy them though, at most real estates and stationery stores.
I’m a Christmas fanatic but when it’s over, it’s over baby. After Christmas, I like to throw myself into getting ready for a New Year! Bring. It. On.
When do you like to pull all the Christmas decorations down?
Other Post-Christmas Posts
Thinking about de-Christmasing our house by Tina Gray {dot} Me
Don’t Forget to Pack Away Your Chrismtas Kitchen Items by The Orgnaised Housewife
34 Comments
sharron peacock
December 29, 2010 at 8:44 amToday!!!!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 8:32 amThat would take you forever Shazz with your tree. lol.
Wendy Francis
December 29, 2010 at 8:49 ammy tree goes down this morning! I’m minding Trudy, Gabby and Zoe and they are going to help me….. oh dear……
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 8:32 amlol Good luck with that…
Nicole
December 29, 2010 at 8:55 amI give all the boxes and all over the tree a spray with insect spray so that bugs don’t make home for next year especially moths.
A rolled up newspaper us great for rolling lights around too
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 8:33 amooo, good idea Nicole. I didn’t think of that.
Julie
April 22, 2011 at 1:47 pm@Kelly Be A Fun Mum,
Great idea especially if you use your roof space as storage BUT with two kids bot highly allergic to most insecticides we use cotton balls with lavender, tea-tree and citronella oils on, as well as the Orphea fabric protector strips. We also renew the bowl of wood balls soaked in the same things that I have sitting in the roofspace near My Winter woolens and blankets.
Amanda
December 29, 2010 at 8:55 amI packed mine up boxing day evening
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 8:34 amHA! Good on you Amanda.
BookChook
December 29, 2010 at 9:02 amAww, mine is so pretty, I hate to take it down. After New Years I promise.
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 8:34 amhehe… okay BC. Okay. 😉
Anna
December 29, 2010 at 9:07 amASAP after Boxing Day-as we are still Christmas’n on Boxing Day! It’s acceptable to leave it till New YEars Day though if time is short! I also have a big christmas box, kept all my original boxes for christmas decs n my tree (with a lot of shoving, squishing n poking) fit back in it’s box-bring in the New Year!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 8:36 amWell, I have to say I did surprisingly well to get mine back in the box this year. I could even tape it up.
suburp
December 29, 2010 at 9:56 am..my heart is torn between the traditional Christmas routines of my native Germany and the Aussie No Worries! Christmas my husband practices.
I did not have much decoration up this year during Advent so I will at least leave the tree up until Epiphany ! (we’ll then have crepes for the Kings, a tradition picked up in France..)
I have fond memories of ‘real’ pine trees from my youth that would linger in the yards and gardens of people for months to be then burnt on big Fires on Easter (just another pagan tradition that has found it’s place on a Christian holiday).
Here in Oz it’s all plastic, of course, and i am lucky to have a very compliant model that goes nicely back in the box to wait for its next chance to shine !
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 9:05 amMy friend, from Mauritius has the same delemar. And I think it’s so special to keep your cultural background alive. *sigh* real pine trees…
Tina
December 29, 2010 at 9:58 amThanks for linking me up, Kel 🙂
I think this is why I like to put our Christmas stuff out mid November, because I know that shortly after Christmas Day, it will start doing my head in and I will want my house to get back to “normal”.
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 9:03 amI so the same. Tree goes up in Dec and I’m over it after Christmas.
Kathryn Rodda
December 29, 2010 at 11:16 amOur family tradition has always been putting the tree and decorations up on the 1st December and taking it down on the 1st January. But this year with 3 young children cooped up inside with rain, I decided it needed to come down earlier so we can get back to some sense of normality and routine. It’s kind of worked!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 9:06 amHA! Yes, kids — good idea.
Sarah
December 29, 2010 at 11:21 amI can’t wait to h e a clean slate for the New Year. Out decorations went up early, on 1 December, and now I’m more than ready to pack them away. I make the activity a fun one for the children – they love wrapping the decorations up in precious parcels and sorting them. When it comes round to next year it’s like an early Christmas when they unwrap them all!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 9:07 amAwww, sweet. They love being included don’t they?
Cyndi
December 29, 2010 at 1:42 pmHi
Last year I pulled an old pair of panithose/stockings over my tree so that it fitted in one leg… then wrapped the other leg around it so that it was all neat and ralatively compact.
Thanks for the great idea to buy gift wrap now and save it for next Christmas – I’ll put some in the tree box when we pack it away on Saturday.
C
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 9:10 amA stocking! This is what I love so much about people leaving comments. I just learn so much! Thanks Cyndi.
Erin
December 29, 2010 at 10:10 pmI am one of the ‘ASAP’ people, but like Anna we still have Christmas celebrations on Boxing Day so we either aren’t home or are celebrating Christmas with family at our house. But as soon as possible after that – I have a rule that it always goes down before New Years, so we can bring in the next year with a fresh, clean house.
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 9:11 amI like that rule. Mine is similar. I just need to move on asap…. but I love Christmas…
Meegan
December 30, 2010 at 1:56 pmOh I’m over it – by Boxing Day!!! We try to pull it all down and pack it all away in one go (even going so far as aiming to do it all during kid rest time) and then vacuum/rearrange to get back into our normal crazy routine right before the New Year begins.
Happy 2011!!!!!!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 9:13 amHappy 2011!!
Kym
December 30, 2010 at 2:17 pmI love your list totally do the same for post xmas sales although this year waddling around 36 weeks pregnant has made it a bit more difficult so hopefully will get it done in the next couple of days!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 5, 2011 at 9:14 amHA! Yes, I’m sure! As I’m packing, I didn’t get to buy paper, just gift tags.
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Kindred Spirits
December 27, 2011 at 11:54 pmI usually pull ours down on the 31st dec! That probably sounds late to you 🙂 But this year I am going to do it slightly earlier, just because. I like to hold on to the holiday feel but I really really don’t like any ‘christmasy’ things up after 31st Dec. You really don’t want to be in the car with me when I see Christmas lights flashing on Jan 1st!!!
Kelly B
December 29, 2011 at 9:20 amBAHA! I know what you mean about the Christmas lights.
I put mine up early so when it’s over, it’s over and I like to get back to normal asap.