Today is the day we take down Christmas. It always gives me a few sad feelings. Seems as if I am "undoing" the joy it gave me to trim the tree - hanging all the homemade ornaments made by the grandkids when they were small and beautiful ornaments made over the years by my more artistic friends. I know this is not the case, but you know "feelings". They sometimes tell the truth and sometimes they don't. When the tree comes down, they LIE a lot. I first need to "undress" the tree and then take a few walks around the house to find things like my jar with the vintage ornaments and cookie cutters that's on top of the kitchen bookcase. I think one year that one stayed up all year. (There's no excuse for me) We seem to collect doorbell ringers - you know thos pretty decorated big bells that you hang on the doorknob and they jangle loudly when someone walks in? They are packed in their boxes.
The Manger is empty. It was under the tree and is now all folded up and packed away. The angel over the doorway blowing the trumpet to announce the birth of Jesus has been taken down and is replaced by a Winter Greetings snowman sign. The sparkley garland on the mantel is down, but I did leave some of the other pretty stuff that just says "Winter" to me. (Happy thoughts) There are several spots in the house that are filled with greens from our bushes outside and the greens are now bone dry. I worry about the ones on the mantel as we have had lots of fires this weekend. So those greens will go today, but I may replace them with new ones soon. Greens are SO NICE in winter and we have so many bushes that need trimming. So most of my part is done. Now Bob will take the lights off the tree and it will go outside for the birds for the rest of winter. I hope taking down Christmas is not sad for you. January is a good cooking month. Get out some of your good recipes and dream a bit today.
Today is the day we take down Christmas. It always gives me a few sad feelings. Seems as if I am "undoing" the joy it gave me to trim the tree - hanging all the homemade ornaments made by the grandkids when they were small and beautiful ornaments made over the years by my more artistic friends. I know this is not the case, but you know "feelings". They sometimes tell the truth and sometimes they don't. When the tree comes down, they LIE a lot. I first need to "undress" the tree and then take a few walks around the house to find things like my jar with the vintage ornaments and cookie cutters that's on top of the kitchen bookcase. I think one year that one stayed up all year. (There's no excuse for me) We seem to collect doorbell ringers - you know thos pretty decorated big bells that you hang on the doorknob and they jangle loudly when someone walks in? They are packed in their boxes.
The Manger is empty. It was under the tree and is now all folded up and packed away. The angel over the doorway blowing the trumpet to announce the birth of Jesus has been taken down and is replaced by a Winter Greetings snowman sign. The sparkley garland on the mantel is down, but I did leave some of the other pretty stuff that just says "Winter" to me. (Happy thoughts) There are several spots in the house that are filled with greens from our bushes outside and the greens are now bone dry. I worry about the ones on the mantel as we have had lots of fires this weekend. So those greens will go today, but I may replace them with new ones soon. Greens are SO NICE in winter and we have so many bushes that need trimming. So most of my part is done. Now Bob will take the lights off the tree and it will go outside for the birds for the rest of winter. I hope taking down Christmas is not sad for you. January is a good cooking month. Get out some of your good recipes and dream a bit today.
Taking down Christmas - I've never heard that expression before! It sounds so final - no wonder it gives you sad feelings.
ReplyDeleteTraditionally here the 6th is the day things come down. But C was keen to put the tree up early this year for some strange reason, and since the branches had just started to dry out and curl down, we took it down last night. Helps me get the guest room ready for the weekend too!
Don't you love the way decorations aren't just decorations but memories!!
Wonderful post, so thoughtful and thought-provoking. You are right ... taking down Christmas is like putting away memories for yet another year. I used to try to leave a little behind via snowmen and greens that were not so Christmassy. Now it all gets packed away in Rubbermaid containers or boxes and stored out of sight. I no longer have my collection of vintage ornaments but yours in the jar are nice. Nor do I have my collection of cookie cutters. I only have left, a few from the turn of the century into the 30s. I used to display them on a tree that I decorated in the kitchen. Now I keep them in a vintage tin, on the top shelf, in one of my kitchen cupboards. Didn't even take them out to toss into one of my old wooden Munising bowls this year. The older I get and the "faster" time seems to pass, the less I decorate. Maybe I need to rethink that and decorate with more of the decos I have that stay packed away. They all seem to have a story to tell and their own bit of joy, so why not? As I think about it, what's a little more clean up? Remind me next year, won't you? :)
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