When I was a child my father always decreed that we had to take the Christmas tree down on January 1st. I really disliked doing this for several reasons - it seemed like a sad event, it meant that we would be returning to school in a day or two, and my father loved the Mummers. We always had the Mummers Parade on while we were taking the tree down, and tinny banjo music combined with lots of outrageous feathered costumes just made me dislike the day even more.
Since I'm in charge of the Christmas tree now, I decided to take it down last Saturday, a full week after my father's official deadline.
First, I took off all the ornaments and admired these crocheted snowflakes I made about eight years ago. That may have been the last time I picked up a crochet hook.
These are some of the special ornaments that will get stored in the Tupperware "vault".
The lights got removed next.
Because I was at home by myself, I used the special patent-pending angel removal device.
The angel and the tree skirt will get put away in my cedar chest until next year.
I took the tree and storage boxes down to the basement, vacuumed, put a couple pieces of furniture back where they belonged, and then relaxed with a nice prosecco cocktail.
I did leave one ornament hanging from the chandelier in the dining room. It seemed too sad to remove every single shiny piece of Christmas. But at least this was all accomplished with any Mummers.
I hope your week is a good one, with some ornamentation in your surroundings that makes you happy.
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Our Read With Us discussion of Matrix will be tomorrow, Tuesday, January 11. Carole, Kym, and I will each post a question on our blogs that day, and then we will have a Zoom discussion at 7:00 pm that evening. You can send me an email (email address is in the upper right) to RSVP and I will make sure you get an invitation with the Zoom link. I hope you'll Read and Discuss With Us!
WE always took down our Christmas tree on January 1st too (but, thankfully, no Mummer's parade to go with). Our tree is still up! I'm ready to put Christmas decorations away, but I know Fletch enjoys having them up a little longer...so we will...Love your crocheted snowflakes Bonny - very pretty!
ReplyDeleteI have to say that Chanukah clean-up is a lot simpler -- I just have to remove the wax that's dripped onto the menorah, and with the one we have, that just means running it under hot water for a minute and wiping it off with a paper towel! I always imagined that packing up Christmas would be a bit depressing, though, so I'm glad you've left up a little something and treated yourself to some prosecco after your efforts.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder of the Read With Us discussion. I'd completely forgotten!
I grew up with the tree staying up until the Epiphany and so I love to tear it all down on January 1st. Maybe it skips every other generation! Loved seeing the ornaments.
ReplyDeleteWhen I put up a Christmas tree, I am ready to take it down on January 1st. For me, when it's over, it's over. Your snowflake ornaments are very lovely, Bonny. Did you use any particular patterns? Just curious. I abandoned The Matrix this past weekend, it just felt like punishment to me. Hopefully others will enjoy your book discussion. Happy Monday!
ReplyDeleteI love that patent pending Angel Removing Device! We are such smart women! Ha :)
ReplyDelete(I like to leave my tree up too... growing up, my dad would not allow a tree up before the 24th and it had to come down the day after Christmas. Yes, it was such a joyful home! Ha!)
I took mine down on Epiphany, which for me, feels perfect!
I love your ornaments, Bonny! Both the extra-special-memory ornaments, and those crocheted stars! (They're extra beautiful.) My childhood also included the taking-the-tree-down-on-Jan-1 rule (although no Mummers. . . ), and I fought that as an adult, as well. Usually I wait until Epiphany (or later), but this year I had to dismantle Christmas for the painters to arrive. I miss all the lights. . . (although I did leave some up!) XO
ReplyDeleteI love your crocheted stars! So pretty and I love that there's so much variety. I have some that my aunt made for me years ago and they're slightly different designs but all the same size.
ReplyDeleteI almost always leave a little piece of Christmas around. Actually, I've had a crystal mistletoe thingy up for several years now! haha!
January 1, down came the tree in my childhood home! Now that we have an artificial tree I leave it up much longer, at least until epiphany.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little the tree went up a couple of days before Christmas but was never lit or decorated until Christmas Eve and my parents took it down around Epiphany. As I got older and my mother went to work, the tree went up and was decorated earlier in December and was taken down on Jan. 1st, and yes, I remember having the Mummers parade on TV. I have an artificial tree and take it down on Epiphany, but I don't watch the Mummers!
ReplyDeleteI love your crocheted star ornaments!
Thanks, Debbie! It's nice to know that now that we are in charge in our own homes we can put the tree up and take it down whenever we want to, and not watch the Mummers!
DeleteThe crocheted snowflakes snowflakes are beautiful. And the angel remover - very smart. I have some paper German stars that I hung on our little tree this year. My fifth grade teacher taught us how to make them. My sis found the paper a few years ago and made some as a gift. I bought some red and white miniature carnations before Christmas and they are still pretty. That is our last remnant of Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI usually put 'fake' holly/evergreens over the curtain rod in the dining room and last year I forgot it. I finally realized a month or two later (yeah, we really use that room). So I left it up and now I think I have established a new tradition and think I'll leave it up for another year. lol
ReplyDelete