Breaking Up Christmas

As always, I'll spend the last day of the year deconstructing the Christmas tree. According to my maternal grandmother, it's bad luck to leave the tree up in the New Year. I don't actually believe that -- I know folks who leave it up much longer and they seem to be doing okay. I know of others who put the tree up Thanksgiving afternoon and take it down Christmas afternoon.

But I enjoy following my grandmother's tradition -- and not having to make the decision of just when to take the tree down - the 6th of January? before February? March?

Easier just to get it down and keep my grandmother's spirit happy.

Since I wasn't here when the tree was put up, I'll enjoy handling the ornaments and remembering their stories . . . and John will haul the bare tree out before sundown and we'll be have a modest little New Year's Eve celebration. 

Happy to be here!

Breaking Up Christmas Again

Time to take down the tree and get it out of the house before the New Year. I am so ready to see all the red and green, not to mention the increasingly flammable evergreen branches, GONE!

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It's almost like the pre-Passover search in Jewish households for the last scrap of chametz (leavened bread) -- trying to track down every last red ribbon, reindeer, or Santa lurking around the house . . .

I'm ready to pack away the decorations -- but I hope we can hold on to all I love about Christmas -- the spirit of giving and the promise of Peace on Earth, Good Will to All Men.

That would be nice, wouldn't it?