Boxing Day at Our Little House Delayed
When I signed onto my Facebook account on Monday, I saw a post from our Australian daughter about having all of her Christmas presents put up for the year. “It’s time for the sun and beach and fun with family,” she wrote.
Even before I signed onto my computer, I was thinking that the English, Australians and other countries that celebrate Boxing Day had a good idea.
While there are other meanings to the holiday, it primarily is celebrated in those countries as the day to put up all of the holiday décor and find room for the new presents received for Christmas.
My mother always kept her décor up until after the first of the year, she said the holidays included New Year’s, but I think she just loved the Christmas so much that she used it as an excuse to keep the lights on the tree lit a few more nights.
For me, though, when Christmas is over, it’s over and I just want to move “toward the light” of longer days and warmer weather and get past the drudgery of winter.
I had good intentions yesterday, but still didn’t feel quite like dragging the ornaments and the tree back to the storage area under The Belle Writer’s Studio.
Our kitchen is also cramped with the gifts we received and now more than ever, I need to practice my “one in, one out” policy. New stuff comes in and we have to get rid of stuff to avoid clutter.
I have a week off, so there’s always tomorrow.
When do you put away your holiday decor?
We put our tree up on Christmas Eve and take it down on “Little Xmas” January 7th. As I get older though I find that I want to get the house back to normal sooner but my kids like the tradition so I just put all the other decorations away-and that can take days!
I just got mine all put away on January 1, a first time for being that late!
We don’t put our tree up until Dec 22nd or 23rd. I usually take it down and put away all the decorations throughout the house on Jan 2nd or 3rd. It seems that after Christmas is when I have the time to really enjoy it – after all the dashing is done! I don’t want all the decorations up so long that I have to dust everything!!
That’s a good point, Maryann, about the dusting. I like that strategy.
My parents left theirs up forever – into mid-January. By the time New Year’s Day rolls around, I’m ready to get it put away, but this year New Year’s weekend is packed with family Christmas parties – and we even have one that is not until Jan 9. By the time the kids are back to school I really like to have it mostly put away if possible. It takes an entire day to put it up and an entire day to take it all down, so it is a time suck.
My mother always waited until I returned to school as well. When I left the house in the morning, there was a tree and all of the decor and when I came home, just like magic, it was gone! Of course, we all know now just how much hard work it is to decorate and un-decorate. No magic about it. 😉
This year I solved that problem by not putting up any decorations, except for the Swedish candles and star in the window, which we usually leave up since they are so pretty. But, I do like your “one in, one out” policy. My husband needs that with books. Clutter, clutter, clutter.
Oh, books are so hard! I empathize with your husband. 😉
After New Year’s Day.Family tradition. Being this far north, our days are short enough so we take any light we can get, even if it is artificial.Longer days in summer, though 🙂
I am confused, Kerri. I thought you didn’t have any kids? Who is your Australian daughter?
Or do I have you mixed up with someone else?
We don’t have any biological children, Olivia, but have two exchange daughters who lived with us for a year each in 1990-91 and 1992-93. They still consider us Mom and Dad and we still consider them and their families ours as well!
Oh, that’s sweet.
Several of my daughter’s friends always called me Mum when they were growing up – and still do. My daughter also calls their mothers Mum as well. We all consider them all our kids as I do with my sons’ friends as well.
Our Australian daughter’s friends used to run in and out of our house and call me Mom, Olivia. It really is a compliment I enjoyed. 🙂
12th night for us, which is 5th Jan. I would like it to be gone before but my mums says it is bad luck and of course I don’t believe but I dont want to take any chances.
When in doubt, go with the theory that it can’t hurt! 🙂
I leave most of it up until January 2nd. Like your mom, I enjoy having the tree and lights for at least a week following Christmas. Some years, it isn’t until that last week of December that I actually can relax by the tree and bask in its Christmassy glow. However, I start putting away other decorations right after Christmas Day.
This year was Christmas “light” for us. Only one of our two daughters was able to come home. We bought a new house last summer and haven’t sold the old one, so are on a very tight budget. David and I exchanged only a few items, and they were all things we needed, no frivolous luxury indulgences. Our daughters also understand that finances right now are strained, so knew we were going to limit the gift giving part of Christmas this year.
As a result- I don’t have any post-Christmas spending guilt, stuff to return or exchange and my after-Christmas clean-up is far simpler than in years past. We liked Christmas “light” so much that we’re thinking of making it our permanent plan for Christmases future!
Sounds like Christmas Light is the way to go! 😉
I’ve practiced Christmas Lite for several years, especially on the gift exchange. I’ve given non-perishable food stuffs purchased on sale over several months [even borrowed from the recipient the basket in which to put the individually wrapped items; good laugh on that!], flannel sheets, nice paring knife, clothing, postage stamps, gift cards [DIY, books, grocery store], sewing custom shirts for my sons [6’6″ & 6’4″], magazine subscriptions, etc.
I live in a tiny house and have encouraged $$ for my Kindle, grocery gift card, computer supplies, a new bath mat, etc. I like to give and receive the practical and basics of living simply. I’ve never given a gasoline gift card, but it would be welcome as price/gallon continues upward.
That’s for sure, Judy. They are predicting $5 a gallon by 2012.
I usually take my decorations down on boxing day. For me, once Christmas is done I want the decorations down, new things put away and the house tidied. I find it depressing to look at Christmas decorations after the holiday is over.
It sounds like we have a lot more in common than just our names, Carrie! 😉