Why the Rush
@just4him (309165)
Green Bay, Wisconsin
December 27, 2019 5:34pm CST
When I was a kid my father put up our live tree on December 24th. It stayed up the whole month of January. I don't know if they were too lazy to take it down, or just wanted to extend the season. It didn't matter to me, I loved to see the tree up and decorated and our opened gifts under the tree until they took it down, usually when it was dried out and the needles had pretty much made a new carpet on the floor. I think we were finding needles until Easter.
I've more or less followed in their footsteps. I get the tree up earlier though, it's the plastic-type now and doesn't drop needles. I have a small fiber optic. This year I didn't decorate it. I like watching the different lights change colors on the tree. I have ornaments spread out throughout the living room. Those are leftovers from last year. No, I wasn't too lazy to put them away. I didn't have room in the tote for them, so left them. I love seeing the decorations up year-round. It's a good reminder of the reason for the season.
So, what's the rush? Why are you in such a hurry to put Christmas away? Are you afraid to let the joy linger a little longer? Are you afraid you will be caught by some goodwill?
Christmas is my favorite time of year. It's not about the presents under the tree or the man in the red suit and his flying reindeer. It's about love and goodwill. It's about a baby born in a manger. It's not about how much I can spend on gifts, but about what Someone spent for me. The greatest gift of all was born in a manger and died on a tree. The greatest gift of all spent His entire life showing what love is and proved it by dying for me. The greatest gift of all isn't found in how much I spend on Christmas, but it's found in a little baby, born to set men free.
No, I'm not putting Christmas away. Not today or tomorrow and I doubt it will be next week either. I'll probably carry on my parent's tradition and keep it up through January. And while I'm at it, I'm going to spread a bit of love and goodwill to everyone I see.
Thanks for reading. The image is my Christmas tree.
21 people like this
20 responses
@rebelann (111494)
• El Paso, Texas
28 Dec 19
It's the spirit of Christmas that I like so much. The desire for so many to want to give instead of trying to take is really heartwarming but sadly only happens this time of year. Too many people lose that spirit soon after the new year has begun.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
29 Dec 19
if'n such brings ya joy, i'd leave 't out year-round. i confess my 'nly Christmas decor this year 'twas cards folks sent. yup, that 'twas 't. i'd not the desire to hear all 'bout 't from the hubs.
we'd 'lways a live tree when i 'twas growin'. dad'd dig one 'n then replant elsewhere. tree 'ndoors Christmas eve 'n planted the 7th 'f january.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
29 Dec 19
@just4him i'm told i got my tree-huggin' nature from him, lol.
yes ma'am, that they did. i've 'bought worn 'em out 's some'd lovely letters penned 'pon 'em. the 26th i received a hand-made 'un from my dear friend'n spain. jest gorgeous! 'twas surprised such survived that distance with nary a dent'n paper.
1 person likes this
@just4him (309165)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
1 Jan 20
@crazyhorseladycx That's awesome! I got one the day after too from a myLotter. It blessed my heart as all of them have. I even got them all on my table under the tree. 
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (82420)
• Rupert, Idaho
28 Dec 19
Well I think that is great, and I can understand your reasoning. We put ours up during the weekend after Thanksgiving, and usually take it down after New Year's. My son keeps his up all year on his dresser, but we don't plug it in anymore after the new year.
1 person likes this
@just4him (309165)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Dec 19
@MommyOfEli2013 My electric is always higher than my heat. Everything including the water heater runs on electric which is more expensive than natural gas.
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (82420)
• Rupert, Idaho
29 Dec 19
@just4him That is understandable, and that is good to keep it lower. The winter months the bill is the highest....almost double what we pay in summer. But that is good you'll turn it on then
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157985)
• United States
28 Dec 19
I did a few table top decorations but very little else. When my kids were little the tree went up December 15, no need to hype it too much. I have tended to put all things away January 6, but I also used to put out a lot of snowmen and red decor and leave the red til Valentines and the snowmen until it got warm. It is too much work to only have it a little while.I will pick the first warm and dry day to bring in my wreaths though.
1 person likes this
@just4him (309165)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Dec 19
That's a good idea to bring the wreaths in early.
@cmoneyspinner (9221)
• Austin, Texas
28 Dec 19
We usually put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving but take it down during 1st or 2nd week of the new year January. One year though, for some reason, nobody wanted to take the tree down. It was up for months! I don't know what that was all about. It never happened again though. (O.o)
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (48750)
• Canada
28 Dec 19
I think that it is great that you are leaving your tree up as your parents did.
Us, we took ours down last night.
My husband would have liked it up a bit longer, but I wanted it down and all of the decorations put away. I was able to vacuum where the tree was, and not being able to do that bothered me and was part of the reason why I insisted it come down.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (48750)
• Canada
28 Dec 19
@just4him No, it wasn't a live tree, but with the skirt around the bottom I wasn't able to vacuum completely to the walls and I can only do that for a few weeks and then it starts to bother me so the tree comes down so that I can get a good cleaning done.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (96744)
• Marion, Ohio
28 Dec 19
Enjoy it as long as you want. I just work with the weather and if I catch a warm day like today I get it done.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (96744)
• Marion, Ohio
28 Dec 19
@just4him It can get tough to get them in some years.
1 person likes this
@just4him (309165)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
28 Dec 19
Maybe if I had outdoor decorations I would do the same. Though I have seen many people keep them up all winter. Probably because it was too cold to go out and take them down. One year even the city couldn't take down the Christmas decorations. They were on the poles until almost spring before it was warm enough for them to take them down. Personally, I thought it was great. They extended the season unintentionally.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (74285)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
28 Dec 19
You have a very nice Christmas tree. I did not even take out Christmas this year. When I did decorate in Latvia we always kept everything up until Star Day January 6 but when my late husband's mom was alive she was Orthodox so we had another Christmas and New Year in January and everything stayed up until the end of January
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40660)
• United States
28 Dec 19
Thank you, Valerie, for that special and lovely post. I wouldn't last long in this world without Jesus.
1 person likes this
@just4him (309165)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
28 Dec 19
I'm sorry Christmas makes you sad. I know it can be a sad time of year for a lot of people.
@Butterfingers (66585)
• India
28 Dec 19
Ur tree is very nice and well decorated
1 person likes this
