44 days of Christmas?
February 7, 2011 8:13 AM Subscribe
Are houses in your neighborhood still decorated for Christmas? On purpose, with the lights turned on, wreaths with red bows, Christmas flags, etc? Or is my new neighborhood just weird?
This is an upscale neighborhood in MD and I don't get the impression that people just couldn't be bothered to take the stuff down. Also, it looks nice to have lights on in the winter, but most of the houses (one or two on each block) have items that really scream 'Christmas!' not just 'winter.'
I also saw a Christmas tree in a window last week.
I've lived in a lot of places and never noticed this before. Is it regional?
This is an upscale neighborhood in MD and I don't get the impression that people just couldn't be bothered to take the stuff down. Also, it looks nice to have lights on in the winter, but most of the houses (one or two on each block) have items that really scream 'Christmas!' not just 'winter.'
I also saw a Christmas tree in a window last week.
I've lived in a lot of places and never noticed this before. Is it regional?
Most of my lights are down. It's been snowing off and one here since before Christmas, so I haven't taken the rest down. We haven't tuned them on in a month, though. It's a strange micro-local phenomenon.
posted by fixedgear at 8:20 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by fixedgear at 8:20 AM on February 7, 2011
I know in our neighbourhood, a number of homes had their lights on last week due to Chinese New Year; but all the Christmas specific stuff is long gone.
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 8:21 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 8:21 AM on February 7, 2011
How much snow do you have?
At least here in Maine, where there is five feet of snow in my backyard, many people still have their holiday decorations up because it would be really unsafe to put up a ladder to take them down.
posted by anastasiav at 8:21 AM on February 7, 2011
At least here in Maine, where there is five feet of snow in my backyard, many people still have their holiday decorations up because it would be really unsafe to put up a ladder to take them down.
posted by anastasiav at 8:21 AM on February 7, 2011
I live in Western Mass, and while there are some decorations still up on some houses, they're there because they're snowbound(!) and at any rate they aren't lit at night.
Around my area people usually stop lighting their lights around Twelfth Night.
posted by Hanuman1960 at 8:22 AM on February 7, 2011
Around my area people usually stop lighting their lights around Twelfth Night.
posted by Hanuman1960 at 8:22 AM on February 7, 2011
There are several houses in my neighborhood (northwest side of Chicago) who still have Christmas decorations up. Some people with wreaths and bows, some people with lights. I saw a tree dragged out to the side of the road just last Monday. My downstairs neighbor still has the wreath (with lights, which she plugs in every night) on her door.
I always thought we were way behind the curve when I was growing up, struggling to get our decorations put away the first week of January. So seeing all the stuff still out is really weird for me.
posted by phunniemee at 8:24 AM on February 7, 2011
I always thought we were way behind the curve when I was growing up, struggling to get our decorations put away the first week of January. So seeing all the stuff still out is really weird for me.
posted by phunniemee at 8:24 AM on February 7, 2011
Our family hasn't taken our lights down either because of the snow and ice--they're frozen to the roof. We pulled the plug out so we could use our front porch light instead, but some folks may even be challenged by doing that.
posted by dlugoczaj at 8:26 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by dlugoczaj at 8:26 AM on February 7, 2011
Here in the UK it's rare to see anything left, decoration-wise, at the end of the first week of January. People tend to observe the 'Twelfth Night' thing. Personally, I'm so fed up with it all by the 26th that I'm itching to recycle the tree and get everything back to normal. I can imagine that extreme weather might prevent people from removing their giant illuminated rooftop sleighs though.
Having the decorations up in February is insane, though. Maybe they'll take them down next week when the Easter eggs are in the shops...
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 8:28 AM on February 7, 2011
Having the decorations up in February is insane, though. Maybe they'll take them down next week when the Easter eggs are in the shops...
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 8:28 AM on February 7, 2011
I live in an apartment building that has windows that look out over common walkways. Many of the windows are still decorated for Christmas and lit. Probably because it's so cold and dark here that it brightens things up a lot. We took our (Hanukkah) lights down a few weeks ago, but only because the string had started to burn out.
posted by charmcityblues at 8:29 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by charmcityblues at 8:29 AM on February 7, 2011
At least here in Maine, where there is five feet of snow in my backyard, many people still have their holiday decorations up because it would be really unsafe to put up a ladder to take them down.
Relatedly, a lot of outside lights are wired into the same switch that controls the general outdoor lights so it may be a case of all or nothing. I got mine unplugged in time but they remain buried on a tree for the foreseeable future.
I joke that if we had a fake tree it would probably remain up until March, but considering my daughter's little tabletop tree is still up that is probably more accurate than jokey.
posted by mikepop at 8:29 AM on February 7, 2011
Relatedly, a lot of outside lights are wired into the same switch that controls the general outdoor lights so it may be a case of all or nothing. I got mine unplugged in time but they remain buried on a tree for the foreseeable future.
I joke that if we had a fake tree it would probably remain up until March, but considering my daughter's little tabletop tree is still up that is probably more accurate than jokey.
posted by mikepop at 8:29 AM on February 7, 2011
Yeah, a few here in eastern Toronto. I grew up with the "down by Twelfth Night or bad luck all year", but that's just being Scottish, and consequently, mental.
posted by scruss at 8:33 AM on February 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by scruss at 8:33 AM on February 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
My neighborhood still has a significant amount up, again, New England, may be due to snow. If I had outside lights I wouldn't plug them in, but I see some still lit, and it seems to be block by block specific.
My fake Yule tree is staying up until the goddamn snow is gone.
posted by Weighted Companion Cube at 8:35 AM on February 7, 2011
My fake Yule tree is staying up until the goddamn snow is gone.
posted by Weighted Companion Cube at 8:35 AM on February 7, 2011
I saw decorations up in NYC last week. Too much snow, too cold for anyone to take them down?
posted by Ideefixe at 8:39 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Ideefixe at 8:39 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm guessing it's because of the snowfall we've had, but yeah, lots of people still have their lights and decorations up around here. In previous years, I noticed that some houses kept theirs up well into spring, so I guess it was just out of laziness on their part.
posted by Anima Mundi at 8:43 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by Anima Mundi at 8:43 AM on February 7, 2011
Oh shit, it's me.
(slinks off to take the Christmas wreath off the door of her upscalish MD suburban home)
(although, yeah, if you're talking specifically about the República Popular de Takoma Park, this happens every year, so it's definitely not the weather, it's that the neighborhood IS weird)
posted by drlith at 8:46 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
(slinks off to take the Christmas wreath off the door of her upscalish MD suburban home)
(although, yeah, if you're talking specifically about the República Popular de Takoma Park, this happens every year, so it's definitely not the weather, it's that the neighborhood IS weird)
posted by drlith at 8:46 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I live in the "well to do" suburbs outside philly, and there are definitely still some decorations up. there are some who do it all year.
posted by assasinatdbeauty at 8:47 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by assasinatdbeauty at 8:47 AM on February 7, 2011
Too much snow, too cold for anyone to take them down?
Add to that equation "not enough time." In areas like this, people are too busy trying to keep their walkways, driveways, and (often) roofs clear--and the continuing bad weather makes it a constant process--so taking the time to get rid of Xmas decorations just isn't possible.
posted by dlugoczaj at 8:47 AM on February 7, 2011
Add to that equation "not enough time." In areas like this, people are too busy trying to keep their walkways, driveways, and (often) roofs clear--and the continuing bad weather makes it a constant process--so taking the time to get rid of Xmas decorations just isn't possible.
posted by dlugoczaj at 8:47 AM on February 7, 2011
I've noticed two trends in places I've lived.
Where I live now (midwest), people put decorations up early (November) and take them down soon after Christmas -- at least by New Years.
When I moved here, I was shocked that Christmas decorations were going up in November. Because in other places I've lived, it seemed more normal that people put decorations up right *at* Christmas, then left them in place til February.
So maybe to some extent that's it too, as well as the snowy danger factor -- you want your stuff up for a decent amount of time; when it comes down might correspond to when it went up.
posted by Tylwyth Teg at 8:48 AM on February 7, 2011
Where I live now (midwest), people put decorations up early (November) and take them down soon after Christmas -- at least by New Years.
When I moved here, I was shocked that Christmas decorations were going up in November. Because in other places I've lived, it seemed more normal that people put decorations up right *at* Christmas, then left them in place til February.
So maybe to some extent that's it too, as well as the snowy danger factor -- you want your stuff up for a decent amount of time; when it comes down might correspond to when it went up.
posted by Tylwyth Teg at 8:48 AM on February 7, 2011
The only thing I like about Christmas - other than the food - are the lights. I still have 'em up and I still turn 'em on every night. It's cheerful to have them on.. and I pretend it's because my kids like them. (They do, but nowhere near as much as I do.) I'd keep them up all year 'round if I thought I could get away with it. All our other decorations are down and in storage.
posted by VioletU at 9:01 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by VioletU at 9:01 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've been observing that the decorating season seems to be getting extended a bit more each year. There are still houses with Christmas trees up in my neighborhood on the North Shore of MA (I assume, and hope, that they're fake). Myself, I left things up until MLK weekend this year.
When I was a kid in NJ, the lights and everything else came down shortly after New Year's, or perhaps Epiphany. There were even people who took stuff down the 26th or 27th. But over the years the length of display time seems to be getting longer and longer.
I think it's a few things - the "holiday season" in general is getting longer. Winter is tough and people don't necessarily want to curtail something they're enjoying just because the calendar is moving along. And it's also a very busy time of year, and clearing up is a chore. With outdoor lights, you really need a good, bright, dry day to take them down. As long as they're up, they might as well be lit.
So you're not the only one who's noticed it. I'm sure it still does vary area by area, as when I was growing up it varied with religion and ethnicity, too. But I would say overall, the trend is toward much longer display. I, for one, welcome any way to take the edge off a difficult and dark season.
posted by Miko at 9:21 AM on February 7, 2011
When I was a kid in NJ, the lights and everything else came down shortly after New Year's, or perhaps Epiphany. There were even people who took stuff down the 26th or 27th. But over the years the length of display time seems to be getting longer and longer.
I think it's a few things - the "holiday season" in general is getting longer. Winter is tough and people don't necessarily want to curtail something they're enjoying just because the calendar is moving along. And it's also a very busy time of year, and clearing up is a chore. With outdoor lights, you really need a good, bright, dry day to take them down. As long as they're up, they might as well be lit.
So you're not the only one who's noticed it. I'm sure it still does vary area by area, as when I was growing up it varied with religion and ethnicity, too. But I would say overall, the trend is toward much longer display. I, for one, welcome any way to take the edge off a difficult and dark season.
posted by Miko at 9:21 AM on February 7, 2011
Well, as one who is guilty, here is my take. I live out in the country and before Christmas we decked out a juniper bush on the driveway. Pretty minimal, I know. However I left it going as it gives some color and zest to a string of cold, blustery, or slushy winter nights.
posted by crapmatic at 9:21 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by crapmatic at 9:21 AM on February 7, 2011
Here in Boston, we normally have taken our holiday lights down by now, but this year, there's so much snow in the yard, we can't get to the outlet. Oops :/
But we decorate with lit palm trees and cactuses and a frog on a surfboard, so it's not super holiday-y, just quirky, which makes us feel better about the timing this year.
posted by rosa at 9:23 AM on February 7, 2011
But we decorate with lit palm trees and cactuses and a frog on a surfboard, so it's not super holiday-y, just quirky, which makes us feel better about the timing this year.
posted by rosa at 9:23 AM on February 7, 2011
There were even people who took stuff down the 26th or 27th.
Of December, that is. We were always shocked to see the trees out on the curb the day after Christmas, but some old-school families did that.
posted by Miko at 9:23 AM on February 7, 2011
Of December, that is. We were always shocked to see the trees out on the curb the day after Christmas, but some old-school families did that.
posted by Miko at 9:23 AM on February 7, 2011
Our lights are still up because of the snow too, and there's a house around the corner whose yard was littered with christmas stuff that they didn't get away before the snow either. However, neither of us turn our stuff on now. I toy with it every so often, but then forget.
That being said, I keep the wreath up on my door until spring because to me, a wreath is a winter decoration, not just a Christmas one.
posted by katers890 at 9:24 AM on February 7, 2011
That being said, I keep the wreath up on my door until spring because to me, a wreath is a winter decoration, not just a Christmas one.
posted by katers890 at 9:24 AM on February 7, 2011
Normally, my rule is "up only after Thanksgiving, and down by New Year's."
Winter decorations like plain white lights or wreaths can stay up longer, but anything that screams "Christmas" should be down. In the North, this year, I could see ice being a big impediment to removal but in MD? Kind of weird.
posted by explosion at 9:51 AM on February 7, 2011
Winter decorations like plain white lights or wreaths can stay up longer, but anything that screams "Christmas" should be down. In the North, this year, I could see ice being a big impediment to removal but in MD? Kind of weird.
posted by explosion at 9:51 AM on February 7, 2011
I have friends who left their tree up until May one year, but rest assured they are an anomaly.
posted by anderjen at 10:35 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by anderjen at 10:35 AM on February 7, 2011
The Pope leaves his up until February 2, which is the end of the Christmas Season liturgically. (But the Pope's don't go up until December 25; before that are Advent decorations which are different.) (And the end of liturgical "Christmastime" is why we predict the future with ground-dwelling mammals on February 2.) So I say until February 2 they're in the clear. After that it becomes weird. :)
Around here Christmas decor stays up a lot later in snowy winters when it's too cold, too wet, or too snowy to get it down. If you get no warm weekends between New Year's and March, it'll still be up in March, since that's kind-of a weekend project -- too dark by the time you get home in the evening to be climbing up things. I don't mind, it's cheerful.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:39 AM on February 7, 2011
Around here Christmas decor stays up a lot later in snowy winters when it's too cold, too wet, or too snowy to get it down. If you get no warm weekends between New Year's and March, it'll still be up in March, since that's kind-of a weekend project -- too dark by the time you get home in the evening to be climbing up things. I don't mind, it's cheerful.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:39 AM on February 7, 2011
I'm in Highland Park, IL, and I don't think anybody on my street has taken their lights down yet. Note: none of the decorations scream "Christmas" (or "Hannukah", even) ... they're just lights. No Christmas trees, etc.
I think by February 7th more lights would have been removed by now around here, but it has been very cold and snowy. When people are home, I think they are more interested in clearing the snow from their driveways. The mood just hasn't felt like "I have spare time this Saturday afternoon to take down the lights." Or even unplug them. I think it's just not on our radar. Anyway, they look nice in the snow. Lights never look as good when the lawn is visible, which is probably another reason why they may have been taken down earlier in years past.
posted by iguanapolitico at 10:40 AM on February 7, 2011
I think by February 7th more lights would have been removed by now around here, but it has been very cold and snowy. When people are home, I think they are more interested in clearing the snow from their driveways. The mood just hasn't felt like "I have spare time this Saturday afternoon to take down the lights." Or even unplug them. I think it's just not on our radar. Anyway, they look nice in the snow. Lights never look as good when the lawn is visible, which is probably another reason why they may have been taken down earlier in years past.
posted by iguanapolitico at 10:40 AM on February 7, 2011
That being said, I keep the wreath up on my door until spring because to me, a wreath is a winter decoration, not just a Christmas one.
We actually do that too--my husband got us into that because he likes to burn Yule greens at the spring equinox. So we keep the wreath up so it can be part of the ceremony. This year it has purple decorations on it so I don't consider it tremendously Christmasy.
posted by dlugoczaj at 11:49 AM on February 7, 2011
We actually do that too--my husband got us into that because he likes to burn Yule greens at the spring equinox. So we keep the wreath up so it can be part of the ceremony. This year it has purple decorations on it so I don't consider it tremendously Christmasy.
posted by dlugoczaj at 11:49 AM on February 7, 2011
I remember people used to say until Virgin of Candelaria day (2/2) was ok to wish Happy New Year to others and to keep Christmas decorations - That's maybe a South America thing. Now that we live in South Florida my Home Owners Association sends a letter every years reminding that people should not have Christmas decorations outside your property after January 31. If you fail they can fine you.
posted by 3dd at 12:12 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by 3dd at 12:12 PM on February 7, 2011
My Christmas tree is up. We usually keep it up until Valentine's Day or a little later. It is a beautiful addition to our living room, and we turn on the lights several nights a week. We make new handmade ornaments every year, and I'm still enjoying looking at my partner's newest creation. I'll be taking it down in a few weeks, and I know I'll miss seeing the ornaments and the tree...then look forward to rediscovering and putting it all up again next year.
I think it is fun that your new neighborhood is so festive that they enjoy celebrating colorful holidays for longer than a pre-set and rather temporally limited period.
posted by arnicae at 12:13 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I think it is fun that your new neighborhood is so festive that they enjoy celebrating colorful holidays for longer than a pre-set and rather temporally limited period.
posted by arnicae at 12:13 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Down here in Savannah, where the weather is no excuse, I see some houses still decorated.
posted by mareli at 12:34 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by mareli at 12:34 PM on February 7, 2011
Ha ha, I was just going to do a photo essay on this in my neighborhood in SF! It's funny, and I don't know why people do it. I originally thought it was a Russian Xmas thing, which is later than regular Christmas, but as it got closer to February I thought that for sure people were just lazy...but then they'll turn the lights on at night, too! It's weird.
posted by rhizome at 12:36 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by rhizome at 12:36 PM on February 7, 2011
We didn't take ours down until mid-January, long after the tree was gone. It was partly laziness and partly weather. The lights were on a timer, though, so they came on automatically every night without any thought on our part.
posted by kindall at 1:49 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by kindall at 1:49 PM on February 7, 2011
I too view the Christmas wreath as a winter wreath, and this (i.e., autumn - winter) is my favorite time of year. So a few years back I started my own little tradition of leaving the outside wreath up until the spring equinox.
Normally in these parts (suburbs north of New York City), the general practice seems to be decorations up after Thanksgiving and down by or immediately after the Epiphany at the latest.
Now, in my condominium development there are clusters of folks who really get into decorating -- and not just for Christmas. By Thanksgiving a walk at night is rewarded with at least some decorations for a little early holiday cheer; as late as February there is usually a house or two carrying on.
This year, however, with all the snow, things seem to be slower to come down. The development's community decorations are still up (but not lit) as most of those are not easily accessible for de-installation -- and in any event the landscape maintenance crew (which does the community decorations) has been preoccupied with snow removal.
However, last year I noticed a lag in decoration removal last year as well, and wondered if a little economy-induced malaise wasn't motivating attempts to prolong a little decoration-induced cheer.
posted by cool breeze at 3:14 PM on February 7, 2011
Normally in these parts (suburbs north of New York City), the general practice seems to be decorations up after Thanksgiving and down by or immediately after the Epiphany at the latest.
Now, in my condominium development there are clusters of folks who really get into decorating -- and not just for Christmas. By Thanksgiving a walk at night is rewarded with at least some decorations for a little early holiday cheer; as late as February there is usually a house or two carrying on.
This year, however, with all the snow, things seem to be slower to come down. The development's community decorations are still up (but not lit) as most of those are not easily accessible for de-installation -- and in any event the landscape maintenance crew (which does the community decorations) has been preoccupied with snow removal.
However, last year I noticed a lag in decoration removal last year as well, and wondered if a little economy-induced malaise wasn't motivating attempts to prolong a little decoration-induced cheer.
posted by cool breeze at 3:14 PM on February 7, 2011
Another anecdote from the Chicago suburbs:
I noticed a significant uptick of people turning their lights back on after the recent snowstorm we just had. In this region it has mostly been too cold to take lights off of the house so many people still have their lights hung even if they're not turning them on every night. I think the snow inspired some people to turn their lights back on, but that's just a guess. All the inflatable lawn decorations seem to have been put away in my neighborhood.
posted by achmorrison at 3:55 PM on February 7, 2011
I noticed a significant uptick of people turning their lights back on after the recent snowstorm we just had. In this region it has mostly been too cold to take lights off of the house so many people still have their lights hung even if they're not turning them on every night. I think the snow inspired some people to turn their lights back on, but that's just a guess. All the inflatable lawn decorations seem to have been put away in my neighborhood.
posted by achmorrison at 3:55 PM on February 7, 2011
Response by poster: I should have chosen a more diplomatic word than 'weird,' so apologies to people who still have decorations up. I'm a very season-oriented person myself and seeing Christmas things in February strikes a discordant note in my mind, which influenced my question a bit. Decorating with evergreens/berries/holly all winter, though, is lovely, and thanks for mentioning the burning tradition...might have to institute that one!
posted by martianna at 4:25 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by martianna at 4:25 PM on February 7, 2011
Yep, all over the neighbourhood here, in my area of Vancouver. But The Drive is kind of a special case, any excuse for a party or decorations around here.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 6:20 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 6:20 PM on February 7, 2011
I don't decorate excessively, but when I do, everything comes down by NYD at the latest. I find Christmas decorations after NYD depressing.
OTOH, I sometimes wonder if people who keep them up long after holidays are over do so because they may have a loved one overseas in the service, or have a missing child. You know, "keep the light burning until you come home to properly celebrate" sort of thing.
My live-in SO has not seen his 3 boys since Halloween, due to an ongoing custody battle, so all of the kids Christmas presents are still wrapped and in our living room for when they are reunited later this month (we hope and pray). Then we will celebrate Christmas with them.
posted by sundrop at 6:00 AM on February 8, 2011
OTOH, I sometimes wonder if people who keep them up long after holidays are over do so because they may have a loved one overseas in the service, or have a missing child. You know, "keep the light burning until you come home to properly celebrate" sort of thing.
My live-in SO has not seen his 3 boys since Halloween, due to an ongoing custody battle, so all of the kids Christmas presents are still wrapped and in our living room for when they are reunited later this month (we hope and pray). Then we will celebrate Christmas with them.
posted by sundrop at 6:00 AM on February 8, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by foodgeek at 8:18 AM on February 7, 2011 [2 favorites]