Taking Down Chirstmas, a travel tale
Yesterday it was that day I love and the day I dread, De-Christmasing the house. I love all the holiday décor and want it up right after Thanksgiving, in fact, the very day after for me is the day to turn from the Thanksgiving holiday to Christmas. I am one of those anal retentive people that like to have my tree up, cards out, and most of the presents bought and under the tree right after Thanksgiving is a wrap. Then I can relax and enjoy all the folderol of the season and focus on friends, family and Jesus birth!
Taking down Christmas though is also a journey, a reminder of the places we have been and a reminder, a jolt of the beauty of travel. I am not a big souvenir girl I don’t bring home lots of things from my trips, but jewelry and ornaments are my thing. Taking down the tree, I saw the pineapple ornament that brought back a memory of Hawaii and the Dole pineapple farm we visited with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and our friend Curt. The Paris ornament brought a wash of memories of the year I turned 50 and Keith took me to the most romantic city in the world.
The blue and white ornaments from Brussels and the new Deere ornament I gave to Keith and picked up in French Lick, Indiana this year were also at the top of my memory making holiday removal day. Perhaps the most poignant were the German Christmas ornaments from the Christmas market in Chicago that we gave to my late mother-in-law as a wedding present when she remarried at 75. They have come back to us and mean the world to me now. There is also a few remaining crocheted stars that my Aunt Ellen made for me when I first was married. Somehow these have survived from our first Christmas.
Children and grandchildren memories combine now and taking down Christmas is a sentimental activity. I get my house back, the clean, de-cluttered lines of home re-emerge, but I lose the twinkling lights where I pore over the memories with Keith of where we have been and where we plan to go.
How about you? What memories does Taking Down Christmas evoke?
Sage
1. Because I’m a Christmas minimalist, it takes me five minutes and two trips to the basement to take down Christmas. Some may judge me (like my children), but I’m over 40 and don’t really care what others think! 🙂
2. That said, I loved reading about your ornaments from around the world! Growing up moving constantly and traveling a lot, my Mom did the same thing, and I think it’s such a cool, nostalgic, amazing idea!
Happy new year!
Cindy
I’m with you, I too am over 40, okay, over 50! and no longer really care what others think either, its freeing this being older! I do love my ornaments from special places, they have special memories attached to them. Happy New Year to you as well!
Kelly Ratcliff
I like you how you consider the clean-up a journey of remembering where you acquired each piece. That’s a great way to look at it.
I like your approach of having it all done at Thanksgiving so you can actually enjoy the decorations during December.
I have to admit, I’m like Sage in that I’m very minimal in the decorations.
Cindy
Thanks! I toned it down this year, but we still do go all out for the holidays. It makes It special when the ornaments have a meaning and reminds me of where we have been!