If you're looking for an excuse to put off taking down a Christmas layout, or the Christmas tree, or any Yuletide decorations for that matter, here is a plan that will extend the end of the holiday for you well into the new year:
o Christmas, as the song says, is not just one day, but twelve of them, from December 25 all the way to January 5.
o But January 6 is the Epiphany, which in many cultures is as important as Christmas if not more so, what with the three kings' bringing presents.
o The next day, January 7 is--Christmas again! But in the Julian calendar, which is used for such things in some countries, like Russia.
o And that calls for another twelve days of Christmas, until January 18.
o Then another (Julian) Epiphany, or "Theophany" as it is called, on January 19.
Will that be enough?
Bob Nelson
Bob,
Yep, that sounds about right. My wife never wants the decorations to come down. We've lighted the candle on the exterior of our chimney until January 18+ for several years. Thanks.
Jim K
Tempting, tempting, but if we left the live tree up until January 18 it probably won't be a Christmas tree at that point, it'll be a Christmas BOMB waiting for a chance to explode, even with generous watering!
That being said, Lady Firestorm and I are traditionalists, the tree stays up until Twelfth Night, or the Feast of the Epiphany. (Assuming the thing doesn't dry out.)
Lady Firestorms mom left their Christmas tree up until February one year because one of her friends hadn't come over to see it yet! Lady F and her siblings were so embarassed they kept closing the drapes in the living room picture window so the neighbors wouldn't see it!
You know, when I saw the title of the topic "The End Of Xmas" I thought the cold, merciless hand of the VVitchfinder General had struck! Scared me!
That all sounds well and good, but come January 2nd the wife will have Christmas "exercised" from Fifedom, and decorated for Valentine's Day.
Good evening all,
We usually go until January 6th or the nearest weekend.
Keep on training,
Mike C. from Indiana
I have quite regularly taken my (live) tree down on the weekend of the Super Bowl.
I do not light it for long periods at that point (and of course never unsupervised). In actuality, I never leave it lit for long periods (probably not more than 1/2 hour or 45 minutesat a time) even when it's newer.
I also monitor to make sure it's still taking water. Many times the tree continues to take regular water right up until the end.
Of course, I also am not a person who generally has the tree put up the day after Thanksgiving. (and similarly, the date Thanksgiving falls on plays a role, depending on how many days between Thanskgiving and Christmas Day) So the day it's put up also plays a role in "how long is too long" here.
And to the original point on dates, my dad mentioned to me many years ago that Russian Christmas was on January 7th (we had lagged in finishing up a few decorations that year, and we decided to continue even though 12/25 had passed on the calendar).
-Dave
Usually I start taking stuff down after New Year's day, with lighting my lights for the last time of the season on New Year's night. This year, while I'm going to be starting taking stuff down on Saturday, I'm going to take my time this season and keep lighting the lights until the tree comes down. My Lionel train will stay up all year.
Kevin
http://chatanuga.org/RailPage.html
http://chatanuga.org/WLMR.html
Well, the Vatican doesn't take down their Nativity scene until the Feast of the Presentation
(sometime in February).
We usually keep everything up until Ephiphany then it comes down and with 3 trees to do, I'm taking my time.....
I am the monster in your head...And I thought you'd learn by now, It seems you haven't yet.I am the venom in your skin --- Breaking Benjamin
We left one of two artificial trees up permanently at our old house. In transition now, but hope to do the same when we find our new home. Can always use a little Christmas. We lived in the woods so we didn't have to worry about neighbors thinking we were crazy.
Ever see pictures of Harold Lloyd's tree?
https://silentology.wordpress.com/2017/12/24/harold-lloyds-magnificent-year-round-christmas-tree/
Same me, different spelling!
Wow. Reminds me of the old saying, "Nothing succeeds like excess!"
I'm guessing it was a live tree, but I wish the article said how they kept it alive.
Harold reminds me a bit of Walt Disney, both men seemed to have gotten more impressive looking as they got older.
Here everything stays till Epiphany. Stop lighting then and start removal. The tree stays until Valentines or till it starts dropping needles. We enjoy lighting it while watching TV, don't care what the neighbors think. Last year the platform stayed in the living room. The grandaughters ran trains whem visiting.
Banks, Proud member of the OTTS TCA 12-67310
We usually undecorate after Epiphany. Last year I took down the colored lights outside and put up a string of white for January. Then hearts for February, shamrocks for March, then put up some colored lights again for a bright spirit when the pandemic started. Might do the same this year.
Flintlock76 Wow. Reminds me of the old saying, "Nothing succeeds like excess!" I'm guessing it was a live tree, but I wish the article said how they kept it alive.
The article said that when they decided to keep it up year-round, they had it fireproofed.
Snip Flintlock76 Wow. Reminds me of the old saying, "Nothing succeeds like excess!" I'm guessing it was a live tree, but I wish the article said how they kept it alive. The article said that when they decided to keep it up year-round, they had it fireproofed.
Yes, I saw that, but no details. Oh well, can't have everything.
A book I have: "The Christmas Tree Book; A Collection of Fantasy Trees" by Sharon Hays c 1998 says: "First set up in 1965, the tree was made up of a combination of three fireproofed trees reaching sizes of 14 feet high, 9 feet wide, and almost 30 feet in circumference." The book also goes on to say "Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd's last tree stayed up for almost eight years." Based on that, I would guess that some extaordinary measures had to be used to 1: keep the needles from falling out, 2: keep the branches from sagging and 3: make the tree safe. Or, it was artificial. But artificial trees in those days didn't look that good.
The book shows the photo with Mr. Lloyd in the red jacket with his dog. Did you notice the white globe about dead center 1/3 of the way up that has a miniature of Lloyd decorating a miniature tree?
We will begin the process this morning by unplugging all the outside lights except the Nativity. We'll pick at some of the inside decorations this evening and tomorrow evening, but the tress (5) won't come down till Saturday (or Sunday, as the living room tree takes a few hours to bring down--and 6 + hours to decorate!).
Well, I packed up the trains under the tree today, Lady Firestorm's removing the ornaments as we speak. Tomorrow I'll remove the lights on the tree, maybe the outside lights too if the weather's good.
Maybe someone can explain something to me. Ever notice how the Christmas stuff always seems to come down a lot faster than it goes up?
It seems to come down faster than it is put up, and is probably true as you aren't creating for effect as you remove. Packup and putting back into storage take a bit, just like pulling it out to set up.
I unplugged the outside lights today. A little to cold to want to stand out there and remove from the bushes. Will probably work on that this weekend. We are going to keep the tree up for maybe another week. We haven't seen our daughter and her family in 2 weeks, so they want to stop by, and the tree is still fresh and taking water. We got a frazier fur this year and it is a beautiful tree. I was going to remove the trains this morning, but my daughter asked me to wait till they come over. Besides I still like getting down on the floor and running them a bit. Christmas was both beautiful and different this year as I imagine it was with you. The Best of the New Year and Season to you. We are still getting cards with two arriving this week.
We had the tree AND North Pole Village put away in 6 hours. That is a record! The tree is pre-lit with white lights, and we add 3 strands of color globes as well. Before we put the tree in storage, the youngest princess and I zip-stripped the color light strands to the branches this year. One less step next season.
If I could figure out how the Grinch closed the Christmas trees like beach umbrellas (before stuffing them up the chim-leys), I'd do that too.
fifedogIf I could figure out how the Grinch closed the Christmas trees like beach umbrellas (before stuffing them up the chim-leys), I'd do that too.
Those trees were probably made in Who-ville, not China!
Flintlock76Those trees were probably made in Who-ville, not China!
I thought they were interchangable.
Well, it's all done. Tree gone to the recycle, needles vacuumed, train board back in the "Chugger Barn," the "Robo-Tree" and it's board stowed, outside lights down, window wreaths put away, it's all over.
Nothing to look forward to besides the long, cold, dreary winter.
Yuck.
I started this project as a "Chinese New Year" layout :
You have time. It's not till February 12th this year!
Well there you go!
Just make sure they're all wearing masks down there! And not eating bats!
Our 3 trees and everything else Christmas went up early this year on Nov.8. It all came down by Jan.8. Valentine's Day started this morning with my vintage postcard collection.
Lighting the trees one more time.
Gorgeous!
Mr. Biden seems to approve as well.
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