Pulling the plug . . .

Andrea here, continuing our Christmastide posts with thoughts about when to pull the plug . . . on the Christmas tree! It seems that each year, the Christmas season grows longer. I remember a while back being surprised when Christmas decorations started appearing around Thanksgiving time. Well, this year, I saw some appear around where I live at Halloween. I swear, there will soon be Christmas trees up in August.

When I was a kid, we put up our tree around two weeks before Christmas, and it came down right on New Year's Day. I sort-of stuck with that over the years, until 2020, the first Christmas after the pandemic struck. Maybe it was the need for the comforts of Christmas Past, but I went out and got my tree the day after Thanksgiving and decided to do the whole Twelve Days of Christmas, leaving it up until Three Kings Day. I found I really liked sitting down and just enjoying the sparkly tree lights for a short interlude with the  other lights turned dim. It was very peaceful.

I've stuck with that now, even though the world fells pretty much back to normal. (Though I may tunplug in a few days before Three Kings Day this year.

What about you? If you celebrate Christmas and have a tree, when do you put it up and when do you unplug it? Is there a long-standling tradition in your house or do you play it by ear every year?

Comments

[theo]

We did get our tree earlier than usual this year, the end of the first week in December, but I took it down yesterday. It didn't do well for some reason and had completely dried out so I didn't want to keep it up and have it end up a hazard. I keep the mantle decorated though through the 15th before I change over and I always have twinkle lights on that :)

[Mary Jo Putney]

Andrea, what an excellent question! I put electric candles in the front windows just after Thanksgiving, and leave them in place until Twelfth Night. The tree goes up early in December, and again, I aim to leave it till Twelfth Night. We enjoy the lights, and the cats snoozing on the tree skirt. *G* I find there's a point when I look at the tree and think, "Yeah, it's time!"

[Patricia Franzino]

There are space constraints in living in a large studio apartment, but I have more than enough space to have a pop-up tree that came with pine cones, berries and lights. I add ornaments to it, and it looks so beautiful.

It fits my living space easily with room to spare. I put it up after Thanksgiving, and it comes down after the new year in the box it came in.

[Andrea Penrose]

That's interesting, Theo. The place where I got my tree, which usually has wonderfully fresh trees, told me the shipments this year weren't as good for some reason. They weren't as full as usual. Maybe the weather in spring/summer up north wasn't great for conifers.

Mine's coming down tomorrow. I will miss the fairy lights!

[Andrea Penrose]

Yes, I figure after all the work of putting it up and decorating it, I've come to think why not keep it until Twelfth Night. But like Theo's, my tree does seem a little dry, so I think I will pull the plug tomorrow (unless I get very lazy!

[Andrea Penrose]

That sounds like a perfect solution for city living, Patricia. Pop-up is good! (I've seen the prices for real trees in NYC. They make one feel faint!)

[Kareni]

We generally put up our artificial tree sometime in the first week or two of December. (On a side note, I saw a joke this year that mentioned that one can determine the age of an artificial tree by the rings of tape on the box. Ours is thirty-plus years old, and I can identify!)

The tree is put away in the first week of the new year. I will miss the festive lights.

[Mary M.]

The longest I ever had a tree up was mid-March. I think we were daunted because it was a 10-foot-tall real tree and our doors were standard 7-feet, not to mention the widths of both. Needless to say, when we finally dragged it out, we filled the vacuum bag twice with the crunchy needles that escaped the hauling sheet. Didn't do that again, but it was a lovely tree during its prolonged stay in our living room.

[Nicola Cornick]

We've put our Christmas tree and decorations away now and the place looks so bare I quite fancy brightening it up with something, though I'm not sure what!

On 27th December I went into our local supermarket and saw they were selling Easter eggs!!

[Constance]

On the way to an appointment yesterday, I sadly counted 27 trees waiting to be picked up from the side of the street - and that was just in my neighborhood! As soon as I could, I came home and turned on the lights on our tree, in honor of all those that have already come down. We put our tree up two weeks before Christmas and usually take it down during the week after Old Christmas/Epiphany. Each year, my husband campaigns to put it up earlier, but I am wary of fire. I think an artificial tree is in our near future, with the ease outweighing the joy of the scent of a real tree! Haven’t yet taken down any of the other decorations around the house either, but did pack away the Christmas china last weekend - sigh….

[Andrea Penrose]

Kareni, that's a very funny comment on the rings! I'll bet it's true for most boxes!

I will miss the twinkly lights, too. They are a very cheery sight in the dead of winter.

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, wow, Mary. That's quite a record. And LOL at the crunchy needles. I still find a few stray ones when I'm vacuuming in July.

I have to say, it's tempting to do the same. A lit-up tree really is a nice sight in the dark winter evenings

[Andrea Penrose]

OMG on the Easter eggs! That's REALLY jumping the gun.

I know the feeling of "bare" If you think of something clever, let us all know!

[Andrea Penrose]

Yes, I'm seeing the bare trees out for collection, too. A sad sight but they have brought much happiness to the season. I'm telling myself to take mine down today . . .but I might give it another day or two!

[Margot]

The last live tree we had was one with a root ball and was planted in the backyard of your new townhouse. That was over 40 years ago. Since then we had either an alternative or an artificial tree. When we moved out of the city and into the countryside, we got a lovely artificial tree which we put up most years. I put it up right after Thanksgiving and can take it down any time I want. Two years ago I bought a chain of star lights that are not easy to put away so I removed them from the tree and strung them around the living room. I put them on a timer and they light up every evening along with a larger star which hangs in the window. It helps make the countryside cheery during the winter nights. I love the lights and since I was not home for Christmas this year I did not put up the tree.

[Andrea Penrose]

Margot, that's a great idea of putting up lights not just at Christmastime. I have to think about it, as it really does add a cheery note to the darkness of night!

[Annette N]

Thanks for this terrific post and all the interesting answers. Hope everyone has a great 2023.

[Teresa Broderick]

My birthday is December 20th and when I was growing up my Mother always put the tree up the day before that. I did the same when my children were small but this year I put it up in early December. I think I just needed the cheer of the tree lights and the decorations around the house this year. It's been a bit of a toughie in some ways but Christmas definitely helped. I never take the tree down until after the 6th of January. Another of my Mother's traditions :) Some things are hard to let go of!

[Karen S. Clift]

many decades ago, in my 2nd apt, the young married couple (1st Christmas) across the hall got a real tree--long needled. When they carried it out, they didn't clean up the needles. I vacuumed them up while cleaning. Then I started to get less & less suction power in the vacuum--I had an old Electrolux with a cloth hose (it was about 30 yrs old) and the long needles had caught in the hose, creating blockages. Thank heavens for wire hangers--used a straightened one to clean out the blockage!

[Karen S. Clift]

I always put my tree up on Black Friday because I refuse to go shopping on that day--instead, it's the official start to decorating weekend! Used to be, all I needed was a weekend--but I moved faster back then! I've always used an artificial tree--easier to deal with & the prices these days for live one? I'll donate that cost to a foodbank instead! I don't take the decorations down until at least after Twelfth Night: I've never heard it called Kings Night before. One year, I had it up until April because we had trouble scheduling the large group of friends all together for presents. I do enjoy the peace of the lights & decorations after the crammed season but April was a bit much!

Folk's house (big Victorian) they put candle lights in all the windows just after Thanksgiving & left them lit until March or so; helped to brighten the winter gloom so much!

[ML]

I always keep my lights on and tree up until 8 January. Why? Because Christmas lasts until 6 January, and then 6-7 January are Christmas Eve/Day on the orthodox calendar. My mother was raised celebrating based on that calendar, and she always said how hard it was as a little girl to be getting excited about Christmas...just to watch everyone turn their lights out. So I figure I can pay for two more days of lights because you never know who might be driving by your house and seeing them!

[Andrea Penrose]

Best wished to you, too, Annette! Have a wonderful 2023!

[Andrea Penrose]

Belated Happy Birthday, Teresa!

Traditions are always nice, but I'm glad you gave yourself a longer time with the tree up. I'm very glad I've added extra tree time. The lights really do add a cheery glow to the dead of winter!

[Andrea Penrose]

Karen, yes Black Friday is a good date for putting up a tree—because like you, I would NEVER go shopping in that madhouse. April is pushing it . . . but for a very good reason!

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, I like that reasoning!

[Karen S. Clift]

ML, I didn't know that about the orthodox calendar. My outside lights are the only ones still light in the neighborhood because I don't turn them off until after the 6th. That just got extended, tho' it may confuse the neighbors! >grin<

[Sharon O'Connor]

My tree goes up in the middle of December, and remains as long as it's still drinking the water I add every day. My daughter always asked that it stay up until her birthday on Jan.19, but it seems to stay longer each year. There is such a dreary hole in the room after it comes down. I love sitting to read in the evenings with a fire in the fireplace and the beautiful tree glowing with my favorite ornaments and all glass icicles. A couple of times I have had trees sprouting soft, light green new growth on the ends of all the branches! I know it must come down soon, but it's a sad day when I say farewell.