Christmas Decs Coming Down!

[Bluestone]

My Mum just asked me when am I taking the "trimmings" down. By that, she means Christmas decs.

I am thinking about doing it today. Is that too early? They are doing my head in. It looks *so* messy and cluttered. Grrr.

[gness]

One of those gorgeous cricket blokes indeed Tony. A fantastic game and the bonus of dishy players. x

[tonyav]

I'm afraid I'm not a cricket fan really gness.
mind you I'm not a football fan either just lately :-(

[DTCwordfan]

12th Day of Christmas officially, also known as Epiphany, i.e. the 6th and. yes. folk associate it with bad luck before and after.....

[lilacben]

No dont do it now or you will have bad luck!! Do not take them down until the 6th. I would never take mine down before then. As my mum died on the 6th January it has always reminded me of what date they should come down.

[gness]

And..my cup runneth over, Tony. Trego's children attend the same school as Blue's so she has kindly invited me to accompany her to every school function in 2013! How kind is that? x

Sorry about the footie. :-(

[tonyav]

If I took ours down on the correct day DT will the Villa's results improve. ?

[tonyav]

Ah righto then gness, why don't you see if you could get on the board of school governors ?.

[gness]

Can't make it worse Tony. x

[DTCwordfan]

Gness's answer plus serious prayer, Tony, the wearing of hessian sack-cloth as well

[tonyav]

Thats very true gness.

[tonyav]

DT, I have done the sack cloth and ashes also the prayer mat and it ain't worked !

[boxtops]

we have a party for New Year (OH being a good Scot, with the Laphroaig already in stock) - we take ours down next weekend.

[foxyferret]

I think its a shame that the tradition of 12th night has faded.My neighbour puts his tree and decs up on 1st dec and they are gone the day after boxing day. When I was young, many moons ago, we would not think of having the tree and decs up anytime before about 16th Dec, then we knew that Xmas was nearly here. Xmas starts far too early and by the time it arrives, people are already fed up with it. I still think it is nice to have the decs up for New Year. Call me old fashioned possums,but we just used to have xmas fortnight, and thats the way I like it ah ha ah ha.

[boxtops]

Me too foxy, you are not alone!

[New Judge]

There is a house in the next road to me that takes their Christmas decorations DOWN a the beginning of December and puts them UP again early in the new year. Weird or what?

I spoke to a neighbour about it once and they told me it was something to do with a family bereavement which they suffered some years ago a few days before Christmas. They took their deckies down before Christmas as they had the funeral but put them up again soon after the funeral. They kept them up after 12th night and so, under the terms of the old superstition, had to keep them up all year. And the tradition sort of stuck!

[gness]

Foxy....I think you are spot on. Too early and many people are cheesed off by Boxing Day. A short and enjoyable Christmas would be lovely.

[foxyferret]

I dont feel so bad now, I thought it was just me because I am quite ancient.

[chaptazbru]

My parents stick rigidly to the 12 day thing as regards their tree and decs, but not me, I'm not superstitious at all !

[rosyposy]

I have always thought that they had to be down BY twelve night, so it didn't matter if you took them down before,but not after. I always take ours down on the 2nd January -rosy

[Pumbah]

I'm with you Rosy Posy. Family tradition was they HAD to come down before 12th Night. It was once suggested to me that this stemmed from Herod's slaughter of new born babes, in an attempt to remove the new "king". Having the decorations up drew attention to a house. (Not sureabout this, though).

Ours came down an hour ago, but then it is only the wife and I, and our standard catchphrase this time of year is "Bah Humbug!".