We never put our Christmas tree up until the week before Christmas, so, obviously, we do not haul it to the curb on St.Stephen's day. I'm always appalled when I see bare naked Christmas trees, lying dejectedly at the curb, the day after Christmas, shorn of shimmering lights and festive decorations. What's wrong with these people? Don't they know that the best week of the Christmas Season is the week that starts on Christmas Day? The pressure is off, the mad rush is over. Time to relax and enjoy family and friends, lazy mealtimes and yummy leftovers. Time to turn off the TV, get out the board games and the jigsaw puzzles, curl up with a good book, or just sit in the glow from the tree lights sipping a nice glass of wine.....
My rationale for leaving the tree up longer than most is that, when I was a child, we left the tree up until the Epiphany. Couldn't be taking it down before the Three Wise men arrived from The East, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh......The Epiphany was how many days ago? Those Wise Men have come and gone, delivered their gifts and followed their star back home through the desert. By now the Infant they came to see is probably starting to crawl.....So, yes! The tree had to go. That was my big accomplishment yesterday.
We also had some gingerbread real estate on the market,
but, since Christmas, the demand seems to have dried up, in spite of some additional enticements such as this sporty car in the gingerbread driveway...
and this pond in the gingerbread garden, fully stocked with gold fish...
No takers though, so out they went.
The OC, coming off the week from hell at work, also had a busy Saturday. While I was dismantling the tree, he was supervising the installation of a new air conditioning unit. We were both mightily pleased with ourselves and looking forward to a quiet, relaxing evening. But fate had other plans.....
Which is a tale for another day.
Meanwhile, I'm missing the soft glow of the Christmas tree lights...
12 comments:
My friend Astrid is leaving hers up till the kids go back to school, (Feb 1st) just cos she loves having the tree up. But for the first time, I took mine down before Epiphany; since I pay someone to vacuum for me once a fortnight now I needed teh source of dropping pine needles OUT of the loungeroom before she came.
Molly! You can't leave us hanging like that!!! Fate - what trick did she play on you?
You gingerbread looks fabulous - espcially with the pretty tree in the background. Our cities around here no longer pick trees up at the curb -- each house is responsible for taking it to a recycling center themselves. I think it's awful -- a dry old tree is hard to handle on top of your car. Guess that's why so many people are going to artificial trees. I sometimes wonder, once our generation is gone, will anyone use real trees anymore?
Tis time indeed, Molly.
I'm curious too.
My little tree has been returned to the woods and stands decorated with peanut butter and bird seed-smeared pine cones until all its needles drop and it melts back into the landscape. I hate to see the curbside trees, too.
What's this about the best laid plans?
We drag our tree out to the back,among the pine trees behind our lot, to where we compost all our lawn and garden clippings. Eventually one of us cuts it up so it breaks down faster, but for now, I'm off out to set some peanut butter-smeared pine cones in the discarded tree to feed the birds---great idea Pauline!
As for Fate's little tricks---next post! After I have a little more time to wrap my brain around it!
ours finally came down last weekend - we leave it up till the Broncos are either out of the playoffs or win the Super Bowl ... and if the Broncos ever DO win the Super Bowl again it WILL BE a Divine Manifestation
Yes Molly, Epiphany is the last day you have to take down your Christmas tree and decorations. That is the tradition I have followed all my life. I read the other day that if it is not taken down by this day then you have to leave everything up for the rest of the year. Something to do with bad luck. Where do these rumors start?
Is it too late to put in a bid for the house?
Good ! You won the Lottery .....
I don't really mind taking the tree down too much , after all it just goes back outside in its pot till next year , but I don't enjoy packing the crib away . All the shepherds , camels and washerwomen look a bit miffed at being shoved in little boxes again .
I know *exactly* what you mean.
I love mine so much that I never take it down until well into January; it's just too pretty to part with it!
But, on the other hand, I do put mine up about 10 seconds after the Thanksgiving dishes are put away. ;D
...my Christmas-ness is still all over the house, from top to bottom, and so it will stay for a bit longer; probably this Saturday.
Here's a lift of my wine glass to you, friend of my soul, may the holidays glow in your heart always, no matter what month it is.
XOXO
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
And... Thimbleanna is right...
What happened?!
;D
S & V
"...fully stocked with goldfish." Hee, hee, hee!
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