I know Christmas isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some people dislike the increasing commercialism of the festive period, while for others it brings back painful memories. There are empty seats around the dinner table. Some are going through despair and tragedy. Christmas is an unwanted distraction, something they could do without. Many cannot wait until it ends and normality can return. Or as normal as life will ever be.
I’m mindful of this as I progress through this festive series. I’ve been delighted by the response and that so many of you are having a great time with friends and family. But when do you call it a day? Or you itching to take the tree down on Boxing Day? Sick of turkey sandwiches by New Years Day? Or a traditionalist who squeezes every last drop out of the 12 Days of Christmas.
When does Christmas end for you?
Black Thoughts 
New Years Day wraps it up for me. It’s my marker for when every guest should be gone or on their way and the decorations come down. Time to come out of the holiday coma and get back to normal.
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Yes. We are the same. Back to normal on 1st January.
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Normally the last Friday before the schools go back.
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It’s good to get back into a routine after the holidays.
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It ended about 4:00 PM 12/25. Thankfully. Not a Grinch, but not a big fan either. It is an old Pagan Holiday that was morphed into a Christian one, that has been turned into a Corporate Holiday. I guess it is all about what you believe in. Yule/Christmas evolves into whatever form meets the needs of the people at the time it is celebrated. From what I can see in today’s world for most people it is worshipping the Gods of Over Consumption and the almighty Dollar/Pound/Euro.
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That’s very true Harold. Time we got back to the serious business of planning our 2019 running targets 😊
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I guess I am a traditionalist. Christmas, for me, is such a warm, lovely, and blessed time of year that I hate to see it end. When I was a kid the tree went up Christmas eve and didn’t come down until after old Christmas day on the 6th of January. Life has become so hectic and rushed. I love slowing down to smell the coffee, as it were. And I love the fact that people really are more charitable and kind at Christmas time than any other throughout the year – so I say let’s make this last as long as we can – winter is cold and brutal, if anything we need more not less Christmas.
Cheers!
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That’s very true, Carol. Although I don’t think many people wait until 6th January these days. They were advertising summer holidays on television yesterday.
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Yes, sadly things do change, and not always for the better.
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It ends when we put the decorations away and take down the tree. Usually on New Year’s Day
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Yes, we are much the same. New year, fresh start.
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My only concession to Christmas as a secular holiday is a lit tree in the living room. No decorations no gifts, no parties. But I try to stretch the Spirit far into the new year. I focus on the music and verses that give comfort.
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Yes, we should behave more consistently throughout the year, not just show kindness at certain times of the year.
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Aw, I’m still a broken vessel, Stephen, but I’m willing to be mended
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I didn’t get a tree this year but generally all the decorations come down after January 6.
Here in Buffalo, it’s traditional with some Buffalo Bill fans not to take down the Christmas tree until the Bills are out of the playoffs. Since they’ve only gotten into the playoff once in the last twenty years (or something like that), most of us have stopped adhering to that tradition years ago. I only watched one game this year as it is.
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I’m a Redskins fan. Our season is normally over by early December. In which case, I’d never put the decorations up 😂
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Well our big “feast” will not be until Friday when my sister-in-law arrives. Yesterday turned out well. And I behaved and smiled. 🤣
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Well done you 😊 Enjoy Friday.
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I think we r done 20 January usually 🙂
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That sounds reasonable 😂
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Lol bcz of the Epiphany celebration 19 January:)) then we can relax lol 😂
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Happy holidays 🎁🎈🎄🍫
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Same to you 🙂🌲🙂🌲
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Should Christmas end or should we continue the attitudes that make up the holiday year round? If we were to continue the love and giving that marks Christmas in my mind, would there not be a sweeter spirit in our daily lives? I don’t mean the rush and bustle, I mean the attitude of helping, love, and giving.
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Of course. You’re absolutely correct. Thank you.
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With the exception of the wreath on my door, which will stay until 1 January, it all gets put away today, and trust me there isn’t much to put away. Hope you’re feeling better.
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I’m a little better, thank you. I hopefully get my blood results tomorrow so that should throw some light on it all.
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Nope, for us it doesn’t end until after the New Year. Then all the stuff starts to overwhelm me and feel stuffy. So it’s got to go.
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Another week of partying then? 😉
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Kind of- more low key and relaxed though!
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Probably around New Year’s. I love Christmas though! I’m grateful and fortunate that it’s always been a good time of year for me.
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I get so over-excited by it all that by Boxing Day I’m exhausted. I love eating up all the bits and pieces and historically would love the time with the children, but they’re all grown up now and I’m rather wanting some time alone to visit my coffee shop and do more writing. I’ve been doing some I hasten to add, but sense that as the book is not being taken very seriously by husband dearest, that he is slightly resentful that for an hour or so a day my attention is diverted away from him.
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I must say, Fionnuala has taken it very seriously and is already planning our move to a mansion on the outskirts of Belfast 😂 but I’m glad you’re still writing. When might I expect a chapter or two? The Colonel will be choking in his Pims when you’re atop the NY Times bestseller list with ‘How I Killed Betty: The Adventures of a Slightly Unhinged English Woman in Provence.’
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Oh I love your support and enthusiasm for my ramblings … I am so grateful. And your title is infinitely better than mine! He’s not asked to read any of it yet; I think he wants to wait until it’s on the final draft. I suspect it’s all a little trite for him but I shall persevere.
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The next question is…..when I can read some chapters. Hint, hint 🙏🏻
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It’ll be finished by Valentine’s Day! Hope your levels of patience are good!
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Hmmmmmmm 🤨
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Grrrrrrrrr 😠 But in my defence, I’ve just done another chapter! But I’m getting evil stares from the colonel. He wants my attention. I think he needs to go back to work. Ok, I think that I need him to go back to work …
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Yes, I think that might be in the best interests of all parties 😂
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😂
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Midnight last night! Hoping to get all the decorations/tree down in the next day or two.
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That’s very organised. I’m impressed.
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Day after. Bah, humbug, I suppose.
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And a Merry Christmas to you too, Mrs Cratchitt.
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SOMEone’s gotta keep the house tidy.
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Tradition in our family means the tree cannot come down until New Year’s Day. This is one of the very few traditions we have and I stick to it like glue. As for the celebrations…not so much. The rest of holiday break from school will be cleaning toy bins, finding things that can be donated in order to make room for the new items, and a girls day at the movie theatre.
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That sounds a lot like our house. Post Christmas is a time to declutter.
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As much as I love Christmas, I am always eager to dismantle it quickly once we are finished celebrating, but even then the process of taking it down depends upon my mood and schedule. I think I had everything down on Boxing Day last year, but this year might need to wait a few more days.
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Yes, Boxing Day might be a tad too early 😂
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We’ll be having a “Last Day of Christmas” Party/Open House on Saturday, January 5. We’ll keep our tree up and the house decorated until after the party. It works out well for us this year, with Epiphany being on Sunday, we really CAN have our party on the last day of Christmas. We generally have it on the Saturday closest to but before Epiphany. As a pastor, I am too busy before Christmas to do all the baking and entertaining I would like… so I do it during the actual season of Christmas, not before Christmas/during Advent, like the rest of Americans.
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Yes, pastors have to work hard 365 days a year. Your service is much appreciated. Happy Epiphany 😊
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We don’t start Christmas until Christmas Eve, and we take down the lights after Epiphany. But we celebrate several of the winter holidays: Channukah, Solstice, Christmas, New Year’s, and Festivus. None of these are particularly intensive celebrations: some traditional foods, some presents, some decorations, some games. Mostly we stay home and enjoy having our son home from college.
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That sounds like a nice family break. Enjoy your time together.
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We put our tree up earlier this year than we normally do – day after Thanksgiving. Loved it – but so ready by Christmas to take it all down. Spent yesterday putting up everything – and actually feel glad to have my house “uncluttered” again.
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Yes, I’m reliably informed that all ours will be down by this time tomorrow 😂
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The meaning stays and these past two Christmases I’ve really worked on focusing on Christ more and I want to take what Christmas is suppose to be about Christ, and grow. For decor, I mostly got everything down, though I tried to do a Valentines tree…it’s meh. Sometimes I won’t take down stuff until February.
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February? Fionnuala would go insane over that 🙂
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Haha, understandable!
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