How much do you do?

[LHC]

Okay DD and I will be cruising over both Christmas and New Year's. We are both so excited, we did a 7 day Christmas last year, so this year we have added 3 days in FLL prior to cruise, a 10 day cruise and 2 days post cruise.

Now we are in the debating phase and the two of us want other opinions.

 

How much and when to decorate for the Holidays?

Currently I am in the middle of some major renovations at Home. Widening doors, painting walls, making a work out area for my handicap son, replacing broken trim work, purchasing exercise stuff for him...and more.

 

But all this said, I have had all my possessions in a storage unit for the last 3 years 9 months and will have to clean it out during my fall break October 16-20th. I have lots of Christmas stuff but all the stuff in storage will not fit my living area now and I do not see my moving within the next 10 years and have a little bit of storage space, not much at all so a lot of it will be taken to the dump, given to Goodwill and some will be taken to my church for their next sale.

 

Now all the HAL ships are so elegant, beautifully decorated (not real fond of their tiny door wreaths but no real room to pack a pretty one) so once on board the Holiday Decorations are top notch, along with all the wonderful fresh flower arrangements.

 

Do you decorate on or at Thanksgiving, enjoying them until right before you leave and then madly take then down before cruising, or do you just use a little? Do you wait until your return to return your precious Christmas supplies to storage?

 

Let us know what you do, as the two of us mull the upcoming season.

Happy Cruising to All and to All a Goodnight,

Linda

[hrhdhd]

We cruised over Christmas on the Westerdam last year, and will be taking the cruise that ends on 12/24 this year (figured out that the week before is a great deal!).

 

Usually when we're away, we forgo a real tree for the fake one we have stuck in the attic. Because I have so many ornaments, usually that means I can use only 1/2 of them. Otherwise, I decorate with everything else, and don't take it down until New Year's weekend or the closest one after that. (Usually I'm "undecorating" and DH is watching wall-to-wall bowl games on TV.)

 

Enjoy your holidays at sea!

[LHC]

When do you put your Christmas finery out?

LHC

[AAAAmerican]

When do you put your Christmas finery out?

LHC

 

Here in the Greater NYC area we have has stores decorating for Christmas since before Labor Day.. I saw the first stores starting in the end of July.. *YIKES* and Christmas is celebrated in December still I hope...>?:eek:

[RuthC]

Even without a cruise during those holidays I figured out that "less is more" several years ago. I don't have the strength anymore!

If I were going away I would still decorate, and start at Thanksgiving as I always do, but I wouldn't have too much: A wreath on the door, some Christmas candles, and a few tabletop decorations would do it.

Festive on the inside (which is where I am, after all), doesn't take too much time to put up/take down, and can comfortably stay up until Epiphany.

[dakrewser]

Our tree always stays up until at least the Ephiphany (aka "Little Christmas", aka 12th Night) with decorations starting to go up the weekend after Thanksgiving (outside first) & the tree put up and decorated on Christmas Eve. Those times when we'll be away at Christmas, we put up the tree a week earlier - but still keep it up thru mid-January.

 

We'll put timers on the lights while we're away so that it still looks festive even though no one is home...

[Krazy Kruizers]

Although we have given up cruising at Christmas, we begin to decorate right after Thanksgiving -- takes 4 days to do everything.

 

We don't take anything down until about 7 or 8 days after New Year's Day.

 

Our entire neigborhood does just about the same thing.

[newmexicoNita]

each one of us seems to have a tradition. Until we moved to NM we celebtrated almost every Christmas in our own home. Usually we had lots of family. Now, we travel 1 year and stay home the next. When we are gone for Christmas we do not have any tree, but do our outdoor decorations and some inside. When we are home we have a live tree and like, dakrewser, it will stay up until the end of the season (12th night) this is a religious thing for us. As someone else said, I do a little less every year, though our house still resembles a Christmas store. LOl

 

Nita

[LHC]

To All,

Thank you for sharing your traditions, celebrations and plans.

The first year after Greg's accident Dec 2003. he ran his electric wheelchair backing up into the Christmas tree, bringing it tumbling to the ground, along with some glass ornaments breaking! It was so traumatic to both of us.

Last year we did a kitchen counter real tree small maybe 4 foot in a weighed bucket on the open space from our bar into the LR. Made the decision to use only unbreakable ornaments, the biggest problem was the dropping of needles on the counter and the floor in the kitchen and living room, so you have to be deligient picking up the needles.

So for this year, I want to decorate on Thanksgiving (I have Thanksgiving on Friday, as my 3 adult children eat with their Dad and his family on Thanksgiving). I do have a really beautiful display of Christmas houses but unless I suspend them from the ceiling it is not save..I am thinking a couple could go over the fire place. Several scattered pieces on the tables, a large door wreath, table runners, Advent Calendar and of course a manger scene.

I took Stockings for our cruise last year (actually had two made just for DD and myself for the cruise) as I put up the family ones at home. Along with a small felt tree and a manger scene for our room. Still haven't decided what else I could take, that does not weigh to much for upgrading our room this year. Do any of you string lights, or all the outlets too precious for you to use your plugs?

Linda

[Randyk47]

This past year was the first time we've even considered cruising over the holidays. After a bit of research it didn't come together and, quite frankly, not sure we'll ever do it. The only reason I mention it is because my DW is very much into Christmas and it's just the two of us. When I say very much, I mean VERY MUCH. This year we'll have a tree in the living room, a tree in the family room and a tree in the dining room. All the railings will be decorated, the mantle will be done, the outside will be done, around the pool will be decorated and it goes on.... I'm not complaining really, it's all done very tastefully but there's lots of it. :)

[LHC]

Randy, do you get snow in Texas for Christmas? In Knoxville, it is a rarity indeed.

Linda

Now if you drive into the Smokey Mountains about an hour or less away you can see it throughout December/Jan/Feb.

Linda

[newmexicoNita]

Randy, do you get snow in Texas for Christmas? In Knoxville, it is a rarity indeed.

Linda

Now if you drive into the Smokey Mountains about an hour or less away you can see it throughout December/Jan/Feb.

Linda

I'll answer for Randy, no, they do not get snow in San Antonio; ice once in a while, no snow..........We lived in Dallas for 13 years and we did get snow a couple times a year or so much ice in looked like snow. Actually I think we got more there than we do here in Albuquerque. NMNita

[Randyk47]

No snow....thank goodness. (I haven't lived here that long but the natives say it "snowed" last in 1986. Their definition of snow is no where close to what I was used to in Northern Virginia.) In fact, it's so warm here, relatively speaking, that I usually put up and take down the outside lights up in shorts and a t-shirt. Our trees are all artificial as real ones are expensive here and dry up too quickly. Might add we have an annual open house during the holidays for our agency and have to run the air conditioning to keep the house cool for the number of guests. :)

[hrhdhd]

When do you put your Christmas finery out?

LHC

 

Well, as soon as I get my Thanksgiving turkeys and pumpkins away, the Christmas decorations come out. Usually by the first weekend in December--sometimes as early as the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.