The one thing I really don’t like about Christmas, is taking down the Christmas Decorations. And for us as a family, we have to do it before the Twelfth Night (5th January). As my wife (rightly so) doesn’t like to have the decorations up on her birthday.
Removing The Christmas Decorations
So, our tradition is to undress the Christmas Tree. Way before the Twelfth Night. But that said, it has become a real ritual. My wife (and when he was younger, our son) takes down all the decorations, not just from the tree but from around the house. Then carefully wraps the decorations in tissue paper and places them randomly into one of two shabby plastic, Christmas boxes. One day we will have to get some boxes that are more festive.
Taking Down The Christmas Tree
Then it’s my turn. As we have a real tree, it’s not just a case of taking it down and putting it in a storage box. Because the tree has been sitting in water, we cover the floor with decorating sheets to ensure that water and more importantly the sap from the tree, doesn’t drip all over the wooden floor. So, my son holds the tree in place, whilst I unscrew the bolts that hold the tree upright. On this occasion the stand held the tree up for over a whole month. There were some advantages the year. Then I carry the tree out onto the front yard/garden.
Returning the Christmas Tree
I don’t chop the tree up into pieces and place it in the recycling bin. Instead, I put tarpaulin in the back of my clapped out Toyota Corolla and ram the tree into the boot/trunk, with seats down. Then drive off to the Christmas Tree farm we purchased the tree from. Lob it over the farm’s fence, with other trees that have been deposited back. I do this every year, as the growers mulch the trees down for future trees. It is a complete cycle of life. One year when I was returning a tree, the battery on the car went, on a 30 degrees plus day. In the middle of nowhere, with no mobile. Even returning the tree can be eventful.
Christmas Tree Lights
The one thing we do leave out each year are the Christmas Tree lights. I roll them up into a ball and place them, where the Christmas Tree once stood. And remove them on the Twelfth Night. But sometimes, just sometimes, I feel we should just leave them out and use them as an additional light feature in the sitting room.
When taking down Christmas decorations, do you find this? Every year you forget to pack something. This year, it was a small string of lights left on a shelf in the kitchen.