In recent years, I would leave my tree up until Valentine's Day.  I always leave something Christmassy up all year roiund.  I may end up just puttinmg a sheet over my tree this year and leave in in a corner because each year when I put it back in the box, and then take it out the following Christmas time, the branches end up breaking off.  My outdoor decorations will come in after teh ground has thawed, but will probably turn them off in a week or so.

Well, count me in as one who gets a little sad or even a little miffed when I see holiday decorations and trees taken down the day after Christmas! I mean its like they are saying we cannot get the holiday over with fast enough or something. When growing up as a kid, my Dad was a stickler about taking down his tree and decorations on New Year's day and not a day before or not much after that if at all possible. We usually put the tree up around December 6 as that was my Mom's birthday, so it made for a special day all around.

 I started getting my tree up right before Thanksgiving, once I was an adult. This year we had the tree up even earlier as I had a CD listening party for the release of John Klein's A Christmas Sound Spectacular from Real Gone Music, so we had the tree up around mid November in advance of the big event.

Many years ago, I became aware of Elvis Presley keeping his Christmas tree up until after his birthday on January 8th, so now my tree stays up until January 9th or later, depending on when I have time to take it down. It is always down before the end of that month though. I love extending the celebration a little in both directions, so now the tree is always up well over a month, from mid November until at least the second week of the new year. 

Best regards to all,

Steve

The thing that really gets me, is radio stations.  We have one station in the Buffalo area that started playing nothing but Christmas music on November 1st  at 5Am, and on December 26, they were back into their regular format.  Not sure it it happened at Midnight or not.  Another station didn't start playing Christmas music until maybe a week before Christmas, and they were still  playing Chrimst music today.

Then the stores, grrr.  They are already putting out Valentines Candy.  I remember years ago in the middle 1970's working for Zayre's, and on New Years Eve, during a huge snowstorm, we were putting out freezer pops and bathing suits.

It seems that everone is so "gung ho" about starting with Christmas items, some around Labor Day Weekend, but on December 26, they can't wait to get rid of it all.

CVS was already discounting 25% off Christmas decorations around Dec 15.  A week later it was 50%.  Now it's 75%.  Bright red and green has already been replaced by Valentine's red.  Same with the card displays.  Christmas cards are just about gone, replaced by Valentine's cards.

When I was growing up, the Christmas tree wasn't up before the December calendar reached double digits.  My mom's birthday was the 16th and every year she gave herself a birthday bash so the tree was definitely up and decorated by that date.  She usually took everything down by no later than January 6 and never before New Year's Day.  It always seemed like it was so short a time.

Today I put up everything about a week before Thanksgiving, so roughly around mid-November.  It maximizes the season.  I'll be putting everything away right after New Year's.  Come November, I'll welcome Christmas back like a long lost friend.  Christmas music is available online all year whenever I want a taste of it.  I see my Christmas coffee mugs every day when I open the cupboard even if I'm not using them.  My Christmas CDs are out all year.  I can always pop one in when the mood strikes.

When Phil Pepe did sports on CBS-FM, he was reporting on the opening of Giants' training camp.  He ended the report with, "Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?"  It was late July!  I have to concur!  When football season starts, Christmas is starting to make its approach.

My late cousin lived for a short time in the Atlanta area.  He told me that in the deep south, Christmas and New Year's are not thought of as linked to each other.  Christmas trees and decorations start disappearing on Dec 26 from malls and government buildings.  The only ones who keep their decorations up through New Year's Day are transplants from the northeast and midwest.  In much of the country, the period from Thanksgiving through New Year's is virtually one continuous holiday.  If anyone else knows about this supposed southern tradition, please post.  

This year, I took down my window decorations last Monday because many of my neighbors took them down right after New Years. When I lived in a different part of the city the window decorations stayed up until Three Kings Day.  The tree will probably get dismantled next weekend but the winter decorations and lights will remain up until about March.  Here in Philly, the Christmas decorations go up in the stores right after School Supplies are done.  So you will have a mix of Halloween and Christmas throughout October, which is weird, and they begin getting price cut the day around December 1st.  Our redio stations vary between starting November 1 and ending December 26 at 12:00AM and beginning to mix in Christmas songs in their regular format in Decemeber.  I am glad that I have some Christmas apps on my phone to hear vintage music because some of those so called Christmas Carols are a bit much.

Lisa

 My wife and I were out on New Years Day and on the way home we noticed about 25% of the houses had their decorations off. Also a large number of trees by the road which is odd since the township doesn't start their pick up until next Monday. We always keep everything on outside until the Epiphany but although the entire town now seems to be dark the five houses at the end of our cul de sac are still all lit. I did take the lawn decorations down Monday but the outside trees and bushes are still going . A few years ago we had a large snow and they were stuck in the ground until February.  The tree and the inside decorations are still up  but I guess they should be all put away by this weekend.