For my entire life, I have put away the holiday decorations on New Year’s Day. This season I felt like I wanted to jump the gun and it took me a bit to realize that New Year’s has always been a day off. This year with pandemic and furlough, every day is a day off. So we decided to put everything away a couple of days earlier than usual.
We both like a live tree. But even with constant watering, six weeks (plus whatever amount of time between cutting and the Bachman’s lot) is just too long for a tree to stay supple and resilient. Taking the lights off always means a mess, especially since I like to “bury” the lights, but as should have been expected for 2020, it was much messier than usual this year. In addition to the little sprigs of greenery all over the floor, after I took the tree to the curb, the front porch, front steps and front sidewalk were covered with the tree detritus.
Broom, dust bin, trash bag and vacuum just to get started. Then, of course, dusting is needed on all the horizontal surfaces that have been covered with assorted holiday décor. Everything is now all put away and cleaned up; the living room and dining room seem empty, sort of naked.
I wish that cleaning up the holiday was a great metaphor for the coming new year. While I’m hoping for the 2020 dumpster fire will be extinguished, I think it will take longer than we would all wish for. In the meantime, at least the house is clean.
Live tree or artificial? When do you like to put the holiday decorations away?