When does Christmas begin and end?

freshpopcorn

Out of all the things I couldn't imagine New Years without the decorations.

Loughc

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Out of all the things I couldn't imagine New Years without the decorations.

Same!!!

freshpopcorn

I'd also have the belief its nice having the decorations up when you get home from work to brighten the place up

splinter65

Christmas as we celebrate it in Ireland is a Christian holiday and that means that our Christmas starts when Advent ends.
Advent started on Dec 2 2018 and ended at midnight on Dec 24.
Christmas ends on the Sunday after Jan 5.

Maggiesm70

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I'd also have the belief its nice having the decorations up when you get home from work to brighten the place up

good way of looking at it, when i was in school i hated coming come in january when the christmas lights were still up in the village, i'm the same now i hate having the decorations up when i'm back to work, i generally get back to normal on the 2nd

Dickie10

christmas songs pulled on 26th from radio

Dickie10

i would love to know these people who take down the decorations early , do they put up the tree and decorations very early? i put up my tree around 21st of dec and down the 7th

Loughc

Dickie10 wrote: »

i would love to know these people who take down the decorations early , do they put up the tree and decorations very early? i put up my tree around 21st of dec and down the 7th

My tree goes up last weekend of November and down first weekend in January.

splinter65

Dickie10 wrote: »

i would love to know these people who take down the decorations early , do they put up the tree and decorations very early? i put up my tree around 21st of dec and down the 7th

Mine went up on the 15 and will come down on New Year’s Day. I never go back to work with the decos up and 2 weeks is enough.

Sardonicat

Dickie10 wrote: »

christmas songs pulled on 26th from radio

If they didn't start playing them on the 1st December they could play them til January 6th

Postgrad10

I got my tree up on 10th but was intensively busy until the 24th. I can't but feel disappointed how quickly Christmas was over on the 26th. No music on the radio etc. Said merry Christmas to someone in a store today and I was corrected with you mean happy New year. No, it's actually still Christmas! So annoying.

Loughc

Sardonicat wrote: »

If they didn't start playing them on the 1st December they could play them til January 6th

Radio stations don’t start playing Christmas songs until Dec 1st.

Sardonicat

Loughc wrote: »

Sardonicat wrote: »

If they didn't start playing them on the 1st December they could play them til January 6th

Radio stations don’t start playing Christmas songs until Dec 1st.

That's my point. December 1st is too early.

Cork Boy 53

Traditionally when I was a boy the Christmas season started on 8th December and ended on 6th January, the two Church holy days. I still stick with those dates to this day.

splinter65

Loughc wrote: »

Radio stations don’t start playing Christmas songs until Dec 1st.

People like Christmas music but they don’t want to hear Christmas songs until it’s Christmas. Dec 1 isn’t Christmas.

harr

Dickie10 wrote: »

i would love to know these people who take down the decorations early , do they put up the tree and decorations very early? i put up my tree around 21st of dec and down the 7th

We never used to put decorations till mid December but not that the kids are a bit older and full of the Christmas spirit they want them up for the toy show. So now decorations are up for the whole of December.
All back to work on Monday so decorations will be be down by Saturday. We have never left them up for new year..

Graces7

My family celebrate and observe the Old Christmas. ie 40 days until Candlemas, Feb 2nd. We do this low key as we do Christmas, no huge hype. Outwardly visible decorations etc have been few and will quietly come down.

ZX7R

Graces7 wrote: »

My family celebrate and observe the Old Christmas. ie 40 days until Candlemas, Feb 2nd. We do this low key as we do Christmas, no huge hype. Outwardly visible decorations etc have been few and will quietly come down.

Still widely practiced in eastern Europe graces7

Cork Boy 53

Graces7 wrote: »

My family celebrate and observe the Old Christmas. ie 40 days until Candlemas, Feb 2nd. We do this low key as we do Christmas, no huge hype. Outwardly visible decorations etc have been few and will quietly come down.

2nd Feb? That is also Groundhog Day at least in North America.

harr

Decorations all down now and house cleaned ... I have put up a few New Years decorations as we are having people over on New Year’s Eve.
A month of decorations is more than enough..

Sardonicat

Contemplating the Dyson. Not using it. But I've directed my attention in its general direction. ..

freshpopcorn

harr wrote: »

Decorations all down now and house cleaned ... I have put up a few New Years decorations as we are having people over on New Year’s Eve.
A month of decorations is more than enough..

Every time somebody takes down decorations this early an angel loses it's wings!

splinter65

harr wrote: »

Decorations all down now and house cleaned ... I have put up a few New Years decorations as we are having people over on New Year’s Eve.
A month of decorations is more than enough..

Stand at your sparkling clean sitting room window smiling smugly at your neighbors as they drive past. That’s what I do when I put Christmas away on New Years Day.

harr

splinter65 wrote: »

Stand at your sparkling clean sitting room window smiling smugly at your neighbors as they drive past. That’s what I do when I put Christmas away on New Years Day.

They are probably talking about me already having taken them down today. One elderly lady made a point of calling in a few years back to inform me it was bad luck to have taken them down early and I should put them back up.. she was genuinely worried

Cork Boy 53

harr wrote: »

Decorations all down now and house cleaned ... I have put up a few New Years decorations as we are having people over on New Year’s Eve.
A month of decorations is more than enough..

But you have taken down one set of decorations and have put up another set. When will these New Year decorations be taken down? New Year`s Day or later?

appledrop

For me Christmas starts when you on holidays from work, schools close etc. This year it started earlier than normal due to way it fell i.e 21st Dec. It finishes on 2nd Jan in our house every year. That's the day your usually back in work etc + decorations come down.

harr

Cork Boy 53 wrote: »

But you have taken down one set of decorations and have put up another set. When will these New Year decorations be taken down? New Year`s Day or later?

The New Year decorations number about 4 in total in the sitting room and yes they will back in the attic on New Year’s Day.

Cork Boy 53

harr wrote: »

The New Year decorations number about 4 in total in the sitting room and yes they will back in the attic on New Year’s Day.

So up for 4 days in total then? It`s obviously your own business but to me it seems like a waste of money if they are only on display for that short amount of time. You may as well have put them up at the same time as the Christmas ones.

Posy

Well it makes sense to have a few decorations up if you're having guests. You'd decorate for a birthday party, and that would only be for one day!

I've taken down a few of my decorations and some small bits and bobs, like Christmas cards, and put them in the attic.
My big tree, small tree, hall tree, crib, wreath and garlands will stay up until next weekend.

Sundew

harr wrote: »

Decorations all down now and house cleaned ... I have put up a few New Years decorations as we are having people over on New Year’s Eve.
A month of decorations is more than enough..

All for them coming down early but not before New Year.
In my book that is sacrilege! 😜

Sardonicat

Posy wrote: »

My big tree, small tree, hall tree, crib, wreath and garlands will stay up until next weekend.

Do you live in a castle?

Posy

Myself and Loughc live in a castle in the North Pole. I thought everyone knew that. :pac:

splinter65

harr wrote: »

They are probably talking about me already having taken them down today. One elderly lady made a point of calling in a few years back to inform me it was bad luck to have taken them down early and I should put them back up.. she was genuinely worried

There still is a great old mixture of superstition and religion going on here. Really I do think 2 weeks is enough of Christmas .

ChewChew

My tree and decorations are down we got new furniture a few days before Christmas and I wanted to strip wallpaper and paint before going back to work so deccies down yesterday and painting began today. Christmas fm keeping me company though

Avatar MIA

Back to work on the second. Will mentally pull the pin on it Wednesday morning.

Cork Boy 53

splinter65 wrote: »

There still is a great old mixture of superstition and religion going on here. Really I do think 2 weeks is enough of Christmas .

A woman I used to know always put her Christmas decorations up by 1st December and never took them down before 15th Jan at the earliest. If I remember correctly, one year it was almost into Feb before they were taken down.

splinter65

Cork Boy 53 wrote: »

A woman I used to know always put her Christmas decorations up by 1st December and never took them down before 15th Jan at the earliest. If I remember correctly, one year it was almost into Feb before they were taken down.

That’s 1/6 of the year.

freshpopcorn

When I was a child we used leave the decorations up well on January. The only condition was we had to wait until the curtains were closed to light the tree! It was sort of an incentive to get me to go to school and come home and turn on the lights.

tickingclock

Posy wrote: »

Myself and Loughc live in a castle in the North Pole. I thought everyone knew that. :pac:

Great answer!

Graces7

Cork Boy 53 wrote: »

A woman I used to know always put her Christmas decorations up by 1st December and never took them down before 15th Jan at the earliest. If I remember correctly, one year it was almost into Feb before they were taken down.

the forty days of Christmas... perfectly legitimate .

Sundew

freshpopcorn wrote: »

When I was a child we used leave the decorations up well on January. The only condition was we had to wait until the curtains were closed to light the tree! It was sort of an incentive to get me to go to school and come home and turn on the lights.

I still remember that awful sinking feeling I would get coming home from school on the first day back from Christmas hols, and spotting that my mother had pulled down the tree and decorations. I would be so upset!

I still see my Christmas tree as a “ Winter tree” and I love the light it brings in to the house for the darkest few weeks of the year!

chuckles30

It's bad enough being back at work already - the only thing that will get me through the days is knowing that I have the comfort of my Christmas decs when I go home. Definitely not moving anything until the 7th and even then, maybe just the stuff in the windows. Tree etc might have to wait until the weekend of 12th. Been up since the Toy Show.

Day Lewin

I hate taking down the decorations. The place looks so bare and dusty, and cold.
At least the bunches of holly make good fuel to get the stove burning brightly.
And I slice up the Christmas tree as firewood.

But I always mourn a little when I finally take down the beautiful sparkling dark green tree and the warm twinkly lights around the house.
I leave the cribs out for January, fair's fair. And lots of candles will be used during the longest, darkest month.

Just going to try and keep Christmas spirit alive in my heart. Until next year.

DvB

We normally take the decorations down the day before we're back in work (can't face seeing them up and being back in work with Christmas over) which would normally be tomorrow, however I had planned on leaving them up until the weekend as I'm not back until the 7th, though as we had them up early this year i suspect we'll end up taking them down as usual on new years day or the 2nd when herself gets home from work.
Its bizarre though as we were only saying this morning this is the longest we've had them up yet it seems to have been shorter than usual... the time really has flown by.

Anyway, a happy New year to you all. Will be back online properly on Wednesday so will catch up on all the crimbo craic then.

Dickie10

december is the longest darkest month, january the evenings start getting longer each evening . i realy love that about january i love how evvery evening you can notice the brightness more and more, according to my phone we have alrady gained 12 minutes daylight since dec 18th

freshpopcorn

Dickie10 wrote: »

december is the longest darkest month, january the evenings start getting longer each evening . i realy love that about january i love how evvery evening you can notice the brightness more and more, according to my phone we have alrady gained 12 minutes daylight since dec 18th

That's how I view January also. Every day you can see it getting a little brighter nearly.
I don't hate ot as much as others.
The only thing I really dislike about January is all this talk about diets/etc.

otnomart

For me it used to start on the 8 Dec,
then, during my Dublin days, I picked this lovely Christmas bug and now I find perfectly legit having decorations up from the 3 Nov onwards.
Again for me it ends on 6 Jan,
but I do think that lights should up during the all of Jan, when they are much needed by all.
I don't hate January: love to see the days getting longer, and I try to treat myself more during this month, just because.
One treat for example: when I lived in Dublin, I used to go see the Turner watercolors at the National Gallery, they are on show only during Jan, and it is the same in Edinburgh.

harr

otnomart wrote: »

For me it used to start on the 8 Dec,
then, during my Dublin days, I picked this lovely Christmas bug and now I find perfectly legit having decorations up from the 3 Nov onwards.
Again for me it ends on 6 Jan,
but I do think that lights should up during the all of Jan, when they are much needed by all.
I don't hate January: love to see the days getting longer, and I try to treat myself more during this month, just because.
One treat for example: when I lived in Dublin, I used to go see the Turner watercolors at the National Gallery, they are on show only during Jan, and it is the same in Edinburgh.

Wow you have your decorations up for nearly 9 weeks ... I would find the 3rd of dec to early never mind the 3rd of November.
3rd of November isn’t Christmas though ...

appledrop

Well I have to admit I didn't get around to taking down the decorations so still up! Will have to be weekend. Yep I hate how bare house looks when they come down. I have a stack of candles that I will have out once they are taken down. I know people say keep them up till 6th Jan but that came from tradition years ago when decorations didn't go up till Christmas Eve. So if you took them down before 6th wasn't really worth your while putting them up. Nowadays though some people have them up from 1st Dec.

Franz Von Peppercorn

otnomart wrote: »

For me it used to start on the 8 Dec,
then, during my Dublin days, I picked this lovely Christmas bug and now I find perfectly legit having decorations up from the 3 Nov onwards.
Again for me it ends on 6 Jan,
but I do think that lights should up during the all of Jan, when they are much needed by all.
I don't hate January: love to see the days getting longer, and I try to treat myself more during this month, just because.
One treat for example: when I lived in Dublin, I used to go see the Turner watercolors at the National Gallery, they are on show only during Jan, and it is the same in Edinburgh.

I think business should keep some lights for sure. My local pub does. Until paddy’s day.