WHEN IT IS TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO CHRISTMAS?

 Today is January 6 – the last day of Christmas.

No, really, today is the last of the twelve days of Christmas – the day the three kings arrived to see the Baby Jesus.  In earlier centuries Christmas started on Christmas day and ended today – not as today, where Christmas starts at Thanksgiving (a totally unrelated holiday) or earlier in the year and ends on Christmas Day.  I have mentioned that husband and I are 18th century reenactors.  In normal years our unit participates in a Candlelight Nights event at the local restoration village (forgive me if I am repeating myself).  We explain to the public which comes through that Christmas was celebrated for the  entire 12 days – which by the way, does NOT include Christmas Day – which was religious/church day.  Starting December 26 (still called Boxing Day in many countries), which was the first day of Christmas there would be parties every evening.  Family and friends would come to visit (and as I explain to children – family might come from far away and therefore might not come to visit for the day or the week, but for weeks or a month) - it was a common time for weddings as a result.  Each night we are at the event after Christmas Day we mention what night it is – as in “Oh, you are here for the family's first night (second night, third night…) party.  Think of it 12 days of parties and fun for Christmas.  

One advantage to there being 12 specific days of Christmas with a definite day – today – to end the holiday is that one knew when the holiday was over.  I hate it when people run to take down their Christmas Decorations or toss their tree out the day after Christmas.  

I sort of mix it all together.  Today we used/are using our Christmas dishes (inexpensive Corelle) for the last time for a year.  I have put the Christmas dishes we did not use today (and will not use for late night snack tonight) on the table runner on our dining room table.  The dinner dishes are washed.  When I take out them out of the drying rack, they will join the others on the dining room table.  Tomorrow I will add the dishes we use for late snack -which will be washed and left to air dry before we go to bed tonight, box them up, and store them in the basement closet until next year.  The same with our Christmas glasses.  

But as good as I am about the dishes – I hate to take down the decorations.  The outdoor lights will have the timer in our basement which controls them shut off.  The wreath on the door will have it's timer shut off also (it runs on batteries).  I will leave the window candles (also battery and timer) up a little longer.  But the outside decorations – lights, flag on holder and decorations on our solar lamps' holders – will remain up until the weather is warm enough to take them down comfortably or the weather coming is bad enough that we better get them down – freezing weather or not.  

But in the house – generally the decorations – including the trees – will stay up a bit longer (no one sees inside the house to see that they are still up).  Several years ago we realized that we needed a definite point in time to take down the inside the house decorations.  When January started it was too soon. By the last week in January I was walking around thinking - “oh no, I guess I should start taking it all down soon, but who wants to now that the holiday is over”.  I figured out a definite point to signal to start taking them down – Martin Luther King Jr's birthday.  (For those not in the U.S. this holiday is on the 3rd Monday in January and honors the Reverend King.)  The holiday is of no significance to taking down the decorations – other than it is a set point to do so – well, at least to start doing so.  

Our dining room is already back to normal other than the decorations.  The board I added to the table is back in the board holder in the back of our front closet.  The tablecloths and napkins long washed and put away.  The foam table protector is also long rolled up and stored in the front closet.  The good china and silver tableware was put away after New Year's Day.   (This is not the same as my Christmas dishes.)

The rest of the decorations inside may stay out a bit longer this year – basically it a bit of “we need a little Christmas” so I will not rush to pack them all away.  Something to cheer the house while staying in to avoid the corona virus is needed, so it may stay a little longer.  My infamous teddy bear village stopped having a “Christmas Festival” some years ago – as the same setup called a “Winter Festival” can stay out longer- until February when, of course, the “Valentine Festival” happens.  

When we take down the decorations – outside and inside – I will note anything which needs to be replaced next year and list it in the shopping list in my cell phone under “Xmas” so we remember to buy what is needed and have it when we need it next year.  

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK -

When there is a task to do which does not have a specific time it needs to be done or completed by – set a fixed time it needs to be done for yourself.  If it is an annual task – use the same fixed time point each year.  

I hope all have a good new year and stay well and safe.