Tree Is Coming Down Tonight!

[roliepolieoliefan]

Wow, learn something new every day I guess. Wanting to take you tree down AFTER Christmas is over qualifies one to be a scrooge - go figure.

Like i said earlier, we had an awesome Christmas. Loved every part of it. Now I'm ready for a great New Year.
I also didn't realize that without keeping your tree up, you are no longer able to listen to happy music, or seeing and visiting family.
Like I said, learn something new everyday.

Of all the years I've been on the Dis I have never seen such negative feelings toward Christmas and its been 9 years this month,

One thread about "good Christmas times" and all the rest about I didn't get this for Christmas, my inlaws ticked me off, the dog ate our dinner, etc etc.

Yep sorry I do associate taking down all the decoration by being "done" with the holidays and always have. To me its so festive and cheery to have my house lit up and all the decorations on the walls and the tree up. I am actually sad when it comes down. Not a relief that its all over.

But as I said to each their own.

 

[Feralpeg]

I took the tree in my family room down last night. The tree in the living room will stay up until after New Years. I have two new puppies who are currently confined to the family room/kitchen area. Christmas trees and 11 week old puppies do not mix. I love having my tree up, but I got tired of yelling at the dogs.

 

[Binnie]

Took mine down last night, and I vacuumed today. It looks SO much better. Not that our Christmas tree doesn't look good, it's just we have extra furniture in the living room with the tree there.

Now if I could just get the rest of the house clean....

 

[yoopermom]

I LOVE Christmas, but my decorations are coming down tomorrow (and I'm no Scrooge!). DS will be home to help me, so that's when it's happening (I'm not one to turn down free help...).

Non-Scrooge tree-taker-downers, unite!

Terri

 

[Sorsha]

Of all the years I've been on the Dis I have never seen such negative feelings toward Christmas and its been 9 years this month,

One thread about "good Christmas times" and all the rest about I didn't get this for Christmas, my inlaws ticked me off, the dog ate our dinner, etc etc.

Yep sorry I do associate taking down all the decoration by being "done" with the holidays and always have. To me its so festive and cheery to have my house lit up and all the decorations on the walls and the tree up. I am actually sad when it comes down. Not a relief that its all over.

But as I said to each their own.

I get what you are saying, and I agree with you. AND I am completely guilty of this, I have been a total Scrooge this year. I am so glad the holidays are over. Your post got me thinking about why that is though - I hadn't really sat down and "soul searched" as to why this is... normally I LOVE the holidays... here's what I have come up with.

First. Money. We built a new house last year, and this is our first holiday in it. I LOVE my new house, but moving into it raised my monthly bills by about $400 a month. We make it, but just barely. Everytime I bought something for the holiday, it was always foremost in my mind how that money could be put to better use. I got laid off from my part-time job 3 days before Christmas too (yeah, Merry Freaking Christmas, here's your pink slip..), so that really didn't help either.

Second. Weather. The older I get the more I HATE winter. Sometimes I think I have that Seasonal Depression thing. I hate snow and cold and winter so badly, all I want is for it to be spring again, and in order for that to happen, Christmas needs to be GONE.

Third. Family gatherings. I wouldn't say this to anyone but my Dis friends, but I truely detest most of my husband's family. We have been married 16 years, and I really have tried to like them, but I just give up. I don't. I can't. I can avoid them, or limit my time with them most of the year, but that doesn't fly at the holidays. My mom and the rest of my family don't live nearby anymore, so in between missing my family terribly and having to be with THEM so much, I just dread the holiday season. I spent Christmas Eve, Christmas afternoon, and Sunday afternoon with the inlaws. If the holidays are done, I can go back to avoiding them again.

Fourth. Expectations. Everyone "expects" thing from you this time of year. You must shop. You must hang out with the extended family. You must spend too much on gifts. You must enjoy holiday music. You must believe in the "true" meaning or somehow you are just plain WRONG.

EDITED TO ADD: Fifth. The Christmas cards. Oh how I HATE Christmas cards. hate signing them, addressing them, stamping them, trying to put personal feeling into each one when I really don't CARE about great uncle George and his alcoholic wife. I decided I wasn't sending out cards this year and you should have HEARD the reaction. I wasn't aware that Not Sending Out Cards was just this side of Being An Axe Murderer. Well. Now I am aware. My bad.

You know, you never see someone post on how stressed they are and how much they hate the holiday at Halloween. Or Fourth of July. Or Memorial Day. I think those holidays just have so fewer expectations. So fewer "you must do this or it just isn't Christmas" stresses.

I think I am just tired of the stress and the expectations.

I told DH that next year I want to go somewhere "preferably warm" and rent a condo or a cabin. No one but us and the kids. No friends, no relatives, no shopping, no cleaning up, no "it just isn't Christmas without the TURKEY!". Just us, a beach, some presents, and Blessed silence.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I get what you are saying, and I agree with you. AND I am completely guilty of this, I have been a total Scrooge this year. I am so glad the holidays are over. Your post got me thinking about why that is though - I hadn't really sat down and "soul searched" as to why this is... normally I LOVE the holidays... here's what I have come up with.

First. Money. We built a new house last year, and this is our first holiday in it. I LOVE my new house, but moving into it raised my monthly bills by about $400 a month. We make it, but just barely. Everytime I bought something for the holiday, it was always foremost in my mind how that money could be put to better use. I got laid off from my part-time job 3 days before Christmas too (yeah, Merry Freaking Christmas, here's your pink slip..), so that really didn't help either.

Second. Weather. The older I get the more I HATE winter. Sometimes I think I have that Seasonal Depression thing. I hate snow and cold and winter so badly, all I want is for it to be spring again, and in order for that to happen, Christmas needs to be GONE.

Third. Family gatherings. I wouldn't say this to anyone but my Dis friends, but I truely detest most of my husband's family. We have been married 16 years, and I really have tried to like them, but I just give up. I don't. I can't. I can avoid them, or limit my time with them most of the year, but that doesn't fly at the holidays. My mom and the rest of my family don't live nearby anymore, so in between missing my family terribly and having to be with THEM so much, I just dread the holiday season. I spent Christmas Eve, Christmas afternoon, and Sunday afternoon with the inlaws. If the holidays are done, I can go back to avoiding them again.

Fourth. Expectations. Everyone "expects" thing from you this time of year. You must shop. You must hang out with the extended family. You must spend too much on gifts. You must enjoy holiday music. You must believe in the "true" meaning or somehow you are just plain WRONG.

You know, you never see someone post on how stressed they are and how much they hate the holiday at Halloween. Or Fourth of July. Or Memorial Day. I think those holidays just have so fewer expectations. So fewer "you must do this or it just isn't Christmas" stresses.

I think I am just tired of the stress and the expectations.

I told Dh that next year I want to go somewhere "preferably warm" and rent a condo or a cabin. No one but us and the kids. no freinds, no relatives, no shopping, no cleaning up, no "it just isn't Christmas without the TURKEY!". just us, a beach, some presents, and Blessed silence.

I hear what you're saying. We built a new home 2 years ago so last year was our adjustment year. on losing your job.

I also agree with you about the weather. But see Christmas makes me forget about how much I detest snow and cold. Its after the holidays that makes me think more about the dreaded long winter for the next 3 + months.

I also agree with you about the inlaws, DH and I have been married 19 years and though we tolerate each other, I will never "do lunch" with my MIL or SIL. I figure the holidays are the only time we really see them for an extended period. My inlaws live a half an hour away and we see them a few times a year. (but thats a whole other story)

I think we put way too many expectations on ourselves, and when things aren't perfect its a big let-down. Lives are too busy and stressful. This is the time I take "after the holidays" to relax , take a deep breath and actually get to enjoy all the decorations it took me 2 whole days to put up. Thats why I'm never in a hurry to take them down.

Funny DH just said to the kids on Saturday, we should just take a big vacation next year and skip Christmas. He said how about Hawaii. I was onboard for that. LOL The kids both said No! Time to put them up for adoption.

 

[Sorsha]

I hear what you're saying. We built a new home 2 years ago so last year was our adjustment year. on losing your job.

Funny DH just said to the kids on Saturday, we should just take a big vacation next year and skip Christmas. He said how about Hawaii. I was onboard for that. LOL The kids both said No! Time to put them up for adoption.

Thanks for the hugs! It has been a huge adjustment. I wouldn't trade my house for anything, but life was somehow much easier when we lived in our "el cheapo" rental.

Hawaii sounds AWESOME! I would be so onboard with that idea.

 

[js]

Same here! Most people don't realize the 12 days of Christmas are AFTER the actual day, so it gets a little frustrating for me to see people wanting to tear down their trees and decorations as soon as the gifts are unwrapped. We also don't put ours up until the 2nd weekend of December so I love seeing it up with the lights twinkling for at least a few weeks!

I understand the 12 days of Christmas but really can't understand why I need to keep my tree up for the full 12 days after Christmas. Can't those that want still go to mass and celebrate without a tree without it "frustrating" you that we want it down?

 

[Kanga1]

Oh my, some of you would hate being at my house! We literally have a Christmas house 1/4 of the year. We start decorating Nov. 1st. It takes us weeks to decorate! We have 4 full-size trees (all 7+ ft. tall...artificial of course!) that each have a different theme. We have Christmas towels, sheets, shower curtains and a North Pole village that has 100+ houses. The village alone takes 4 entire days to put up. We don't even THINK about taking anything down until at least Jan. 4th. So by the time we get everything put away, it's Feb. November through January is Christmas at our house and we love it!

 

[mickeyfan1]

The Mickey tree came down yesterday as well as some of the decor on the coffee table. The red tree, the outside lights and the dining room table were done today. That leaves the green tree, the rest of the knick knacks, and the village for tomorrow. As much as I liked having the 3 trees this year, it is too much clutter, we are not spotless neat freaks, but Christmas is over and it's time to put everything away. The house looks much better to me when it is tidy.

 

[floridalaurie]

I always leave mine up til after New Year but I decided to take it down this past Sunday. It had been up since Thanksgiving and I just decided it was time to get my house back in order. I love my tree and always find it a huge production to take it down. Figured I might as well do it while I was off from work.

 

[sunlver]

I guess I am in the minority, I think... I love the Holiday season. I love seeing the Christmas stuff at the stores,even earlier then normal. I love seeing the first lights of the neighborhood put up, and I like the Christmas music and the shopping and the baking and all the parties...BUT..once its over...it is over
My son put the lights on the house Thanksgiving weekend, and he took them down 2 days after Christmas. I "think" all my decorations are put back in the boxes in the attic..though there might be a few stragglers laying about.

Though with that said, it always feels a little like a downer after Christmas. And no, leaving stuff up wouldnt make a difference to me. For me the fact that Christmas is over, its over, time to move on..Anyways..Summer is my favorite time of year..so let the months tick on by.