Well It's About Time
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (112819)
Gainesville, Florida
January 21, 2023 9:14am CST
...for my Christmas tree and Christmas decorations to come down.
I waited as long as I could, past the date I should have, but I now must face the inevitable truth that the Christmas tree is finally dying and needs to be taken down and removed from the house.
Granted, I was not a total slacker and took down all my outside decorations back at the beginning of January, but I just wasn't ready to take down everything inside the house. The girls and I really enjoyed seeing all the Christmas lights at night. In the back of my mind, I was trying to convince myself that the tree could make it to Valentines Day and become a Valentines tree. But the tree had different plans.
Anyway, it's a cloudy, drizzly day here, so I don't have anything else planned. Guess it's time to take down the last of the Christmas holdouts.
Anybody else still have their Christmas decorations up?
20 people like this
20 responses
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jan
Are they outside decorations?
It's one thing to leave up the decorations inside, but I think it can be a little tacky to leave them up outside, especially when we're almost a month removed from the holidays. I don't know if you have an HOA at your place, but here my HOA would never approve of the outside decorations being up this long.
2 people like this
@DianneN (247305)
• United States
22 Jan
@moffittjc We don’t have an HOA, but we should. It’s like this from before Halloween until late spring. Hideous with no rhyme or reason.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan
@DianneN Geez, that’s hideous. If you’re going to decorate your yard for that long, it needs to be done right.
3 people like this
@MarieCoyle (16379)
•
31 Jan
It's kind of hard to put them up and take them down. Because we always did it together, me and the kiddos....and now they are all grown up. I don't mind putting them up, but I hate taking them down. I usually take everything down a few days after Christmas, but this year that didn't happen until I came home from being with my family. Some people really enjoy them and keep them up a long time. My only objection is the inflatables people put in their yards, and then the wind takes them, and you find them wrapped around a tree or see one on a neighbor's roof because the wind was too strong for it. Inflatables need to be anchored. They are fun to look at, I just don't want to rescue them on a cold day, so I don't have any.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
31 Jan
I have several inflatables as part of my outside decorations. They are firmly anchored down during the season. And they are always the first decorations to come down, even if the other outside stuff stays up days or weeks longer.
I’ve often wondered if I’ll keep doing all the decorations once all my kids are out of the house and on their own. My daughter still lives with me as she finishes grad school at the University of Florida, but my son moved out last year and lives 4 hours away. It was a little weird this year doing the decorations without him, but I still had fun with my daughter.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Feb
@MarieCoyle I’d probably go into a period of depression if technology wasn’t what it is today, where I can video chat with my kids right from my phone.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (16379)
•
1 Feb
@moffittjc
I still remember how crushed I was when the last babies left the house. Yes, we raise them to be strong and to leave and live on their own. But oh, that empty feeling!
I quickly discovered it's not much fun putting up the tree and decorating by myself. I treasure the memories.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (95806)
• India
21 Jan
@moffittjc Oh Junior...you are so romantic..LOL
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jan
@vandana7 There is hope for me yet!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jan
Maybe a few people have Valentines trees, but the majority don't. I wouldn't mind having a tree decorated in pink and red lights and covered with little hearts and cupids, I think it would be cute.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (36976)
• United States
22 Jan
No, took down our tree Thanksgiving weekend, I think.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (36976)
• United States
22 Jan
@moffittjc That's kind of the usual time around here.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan
@1creekgirl But then you have no tree for Christmas!!!!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan
You took you Christmas tree down on Thanksgiving? lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jan
You were on the ball. I guess I'm just a slacker.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jan
@NJChicaa Wow, you go right from Christmas to summer. That's like putting the pedal to the metal and flooring it. Don't you want to enjoy spring first? lol
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (111748)
• United States
21 Jan
@moffittjc I've always been that way when it comes to Christmas. I decorate the day after Thanksgiving, enjoy it all through Christmas, and then the day after it all comes down and goes away. To me Christmas is over and it is time to move on to looking forward to summer.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Feb
That makes a lot of sense. I had no excuse other than I was lazy. Lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Feb
@porwest Well, I definitely can’t use the “it’s too cold” excuse here in Florida. I wonder if I could use the excuse “it’s too sunny” as a reason not to go outside and take down my decorations?
1 person likes this
@porwest (65350)
• United States
9 Feb
@moffittjc Some people do suffer that malady. Plus, there are times when it just too damn cold out to take them down sooner. I will gladly procrastinate in a situation like that. lol
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (103119)
• Wheat Ridge, Colorado
29 Jan
I really only had the small tree inside here and a few bits of wrapping paper stuck to the window.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (103119)
• Wheat Ridge, Colorado
30 Jan
@moffittjc Well and I would love to do more.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Jan
I see. You kept it nice and simple. Sometimes I wish I’d go that route, because I spend many hours putting up and taking down my Christmas decorations
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Jan
@RebeccasFarm I think decorating for the holidays can be fun, but it can also be time consuming. I don’t mind putting up the decorations, because we do it as a family and it’s good bonding time and puts us in the spirit of the season, but it’s not so fun when it comes time to take everything down. Magically, no one else wants to be around to help poor old dad take it all down! Lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Jan
Well, all of my Christmas decorations are down now, so I can start putting up Valentines stuff.
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Feb
I was going to try to keep it alive long enough to turn it into a Valentines tree, but the poor thing started dying on me at the end of January.
@DaddyEvil (126376)
• United States
21 Jan
Next year, buy a nice looking artificial tree and a few limbs from a real tree. Then you can leave the tree up year round and just nip out to the forest once in a while and replace the branches when they lose the refreshing odor. 
When nobody would help me take down our tree one year, I got mad and left it up. Then gave it away after the next Christmas was over. Pretty got upset when I wouldn't buy another full sized one after explaining where our last tree had gone. I bought the 5 inch tree we still have. And it's the ONLY tree I'll ever have again. 
When nobody would help me take down our tree one year, I got mad and left it up. Then gave it away after the next Christmas was over. Pretty got upset when I wouldn't buy another full sized one after explaining where our last tree had gone. I bought the 5 inch tree we still have. And it's the ONLY tree I'll ever have again. 1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (126376)
• United States
21 Jan
@moffittjc I always cut my own tree when I was a young adult but Evilmommy didn't like real trees. (She was odd at times. ) Then, I lost access to real ones and didn't want to buy one.
When Pretty was about 8 years old, I talked a guy into letting me go out into his field and digging one up so I could plant it in our yard. It's still growing in the back yard at the house I was renting at the time. Pretty and I put strings of popcorn on it at Christmas time.
It was the last real tree we had.
) Then, I lost access to real ones and didn't want to buy one.
When Pretty was about 8 years old, I talked a guy into letting me go out into his field and digging one up so I could plant it in our yard. It's still growing in the back yard at the house I was renting at the time. Pretty and I put strings of popcorn on it at Christmas time.
It was the last real tree we had.1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jan
I love real trees, especially due to the pleasant aroma they provide. And as much as I would love to leave a tree up year round (and then decorate it based on the current season/holiday), I don't think my daughter and girlfriend would appreciate it much.
I used to own an artificial tree, but ever since I ventured out and started buying real trees, I'll probably never go back to artificial again.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan
@DaddyEvil That's cool that you planted a "living" Christmas tree. I did the same thing at the first house I owned, I planted a "Christmas" tree in the back yard, and two oak trees in the front yard (one for each of my kids). That was when I lived in south Florida, and even though I live in north Florida now, every time we go down south to visit family we'll drive by the house to see how all those trees are doing. They're all still there and have gotten really big!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jan
From appearances alone, the tree looks to be alive and healthy. It is still green as can be, and it is still sucking up water at a good pace. But the needles are drying out, and if you touch them anywhere on the tree, they fall off. So it clearly is past its useful life, and so it must come down. And also because if it dries out too much it will become a fire hazard.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jan
@just4him I'm already a bad enough fire hazard when I'm trying to cook in the kitchen. No need to increase the odds! lol
@just4him (278338)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
21 Jan
@moffittjc Yes, time to take it down. You don't want a fire hazard in your home.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (17820)
• United States
31 Jan
No. I didn't put out the tree this year, but other decor is gone. Chris had plans to keep his tree either in the back yard or in the glass room. I don't know if it has survived. He has a new kitten and she loves that tree. lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Feb
I’m not familiar with kings day. Is that something separate from Christmas?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb
@nela13 I thought that it was probably related to the three wise men. That was right about the same time as Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas Day. I think they celebrated it on January 7th.
1 person likes this
@nela13 (54361)
• Portugal
4 Feb
@moffittjc in kings day we celebrate the Three Wise men that brought presents to Jesus, it is usually celebrated on January 6th.
1 person likes this
@florelway (22797)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
21 Jan
Still have our Christmas tree but am intending to put.it down later. Yesterday I asked my brother to slowly remove the trimming but we've forgotten about it and got busy with other things.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
23 Jan
@florelway I almost always have plans on weekends, so it’s really hard for me to do any chores.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan
That's been my problem the past few weeks, we just get busy with other things and then forget about the Christmas decorations.
1 person likes this
@florelway (22797)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
22 Jan
@moffittjc same concern here, maybe I should consider doing it after I get home from work. Sometimes weekends are more occupied with lots of errands.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (77932)
• Canada
21 Jan
Surprisingly enough I still have the nice live Christmas centrepiece on the coffee table that my hubs gave me.
I plucked out the white and red carnations as they started to look like they needed to go, but the evergreens are still green and look alright. I have a feeling that they will be ready for the garbage in another week or so. I will keep the nice red candles that are in it.
Everything else is packed and put away though.
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan
I usually take mine down the weekend after New Year, but this year we were all just crazy busy and time slipped by.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan
I'm thinking about breaking up with my girlfriend right before Valentine's Day so that I don't have to get her any flowers or candy or do anything special for her. I'll then get back together with her after the holiday is over.
Just kidding of course! I've already got reservations to take her to Disney World on Valentine's Day, including dinner reservations at a fancy steak house.
Too bad you're not here. I'd plan a special Valentine's for you too!
@LindaOHio (122452)
• United States
22 Jan
Nope. We once left our tree up until February. We had to deal with all those sharp needles and needles all over the floor and carpet as we took it out.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan
Four or five years ago, I took down my tree at the end of January and took it and dumped it in the woods behind my house. Somewhere around mid-March that year I was taking my girlfriend's dog for a walk back there and the tree was still there, and still as green as could be. I can't believe it stayed alive that long!
1 person likes this
@amalha (161)
•
21 Jan
Just removed them yesterday It took too much time, Christmas tree is very beautiful and I like it only at Christmas time, putting the Christmas tree and decoration is easier than removing them.
I think you can do some different decorations for valentine , each occasion has it's own decorations.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (112819)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jan
I agree, it is always much easier putting the decorations up than it is taking them down. That's probably the big reason I waited so long to do it.
