THE HOLIDAY season may be coming to an end but many of us are still in the festive spirit and will leave removing all the ornaments for later.
However, one mum, Kaye Marie, recently revealed that she’s already taken the decorations down and has packed them away for next year – and the controversial move has sparked fury amongst TikTok users.
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Mum Kaye revealed that she already took the holiday decor down last weekCredit: TIKTOK/@kayemarie53
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Although the tree survived this time, Kaye added that the fir will be packed away very soonCredit: TIKTOK/@kayemarie53
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Although people might call her the Grinch, the mum said she will ‘combust’ if she spots another piece of glitter in her homeCredit: Alamy
Posting on her page, Kaye proudly shared her epic ”post-Christmas clean” and said: ”Can we normalise taking the decorations down early?
”Festivities are done over here. Call me the Grinch, call me what you like – if I see one more piece of glitter, I’m going to combust. Quite literally,” she explained in the video.
The first item that Kaye tackled was the gorgeous light grey door bow, before giving the surface a good clean and moving onto the inside of the house.
Once in the living room, Kaye, who had opted for a fabulous silver and white gold colour scheme this year, got rid of all the decorations and the garland.
”I have three garlands, very unnecessary,” said the mum who added that the family wasn’t living ”in a mansion”.
Packing one of the epic garlands away, Kaye joked: ”In the box you go, goodbye, goodnight.”
The mum, who boasts more than 460k followers on her page, also shared a nifty trick that’s bound to make Christmas easier next year.
”I also stick a post-it on each side of the box, so I know what’s inside.
”I also did pop £25 in the box for a takeout, so when I open it next year – takeout when I put the tree up.
”Last year I did forget – but this year I did not. Genuinely feels like a free takeout.”
I feel like a failure for only getting my 9-year-old cheap bits off TikTok for Christmas, but trolls slam my ‘sob story’
When the floor was hoovered and all the glitter had been dealt with, Kaye put the diffuser on and put the candles on, making the home feel extra cosy.
”The tree did live to see another day because nobody’s got that type of energy,” said Kaye, adding that she will be tackling the festive fir a few days later, on Sunday.
Since being posted on the social media platform, where the mum regularly shares savvy cleaning hacks, the clip has taken the internet by storm, racking up over 700k views in two days.
Hundreds raced to comments where it was a mixed bag of responses – and while some agreed with Kaye, others thought taking the holiday decorations down right after Christmas Day was too soon.
One said: ”I don’t take mine down until after Twelfth Night which is the last feast of Christmas. But I don’t put mine up until December 13th at the earliest.”
How to look after your real Christmas tree
HERE’S what you need to know if you’re buying a real Christmas tree:
First thing’s first: buy a pot (if it doesn’t come in one already).
You’ll need to treat your tree just like a houseplant and give it water and attention.
Make sure the container has good drainage – and it’s a good idea to put something underneath to catch the excess water.
Check the soil everyday to make sure it’s not drying out.
If it feels dry, give it some water. If it still feels moist, leave it alone as too much water can also kill a tree.
Also check the LED bulbs on your tree lights aren’t too hot as they could burn it, and keep your tree away from radiators.
When Christmas is over, try planting it in the garden so you can dig it up and use it again next year.
It’s a good idea to take it out of its pot when you do re-plant it though, as large trees don’t survive well in pots as their roots need space to grow.
Another wondered: ”Do you not think it just feels so bare once you’ve put everything away?”
”It’s not normal though is it. new years eve into the new year is part of xmas into the new year it comes down after that,” a third shared their opinion.
”I agree Christmas decs come down a few days after Christmas can’t stand the clutter as soon as Christmas has finished,” a social media user commented.
Hitting back at the trolls who disagreed with her, the mum said: ”It’s just a silly tradition, take them down when you feel you want to.
”Nothing in life is that DEEP!!! Some don’t even have them.”
When should I take my Christmas tree and festive decorations down?
This question’s a bit simpler to answer. Your Christmas tree should be down by the 12th day of Christmas, which falls on January 6.
This date marks the Epiphany – the day when the Three Wise Men visited the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem.
The Epiphany is the official end of the festive season.
Why is it unlucky to keep your tree up beyond the 12th night?
As the legend goes, tree spirits take shelter in Christmas greenery, such as your tree and holly, during the festive season.
But, once this period of time has passed, the spirits need to be released back into the wild.
If people don’t take out their trees and release them, legend says that the greenery won’t grow back in spring – leading to farming problems and food shortages.
Many people now take their trees down early, to avoid encouraging bad luck.
But kids were traditionally told that, if you took your tree down before the eve of the Epiphany, the Three Wise Men wouldn’t be able to find their way – because of the Star of Bethlehem, i.e. our fairy lights, guided them to Jesus.
Another superstition is that you should take your Christmas tree down before the bell tolls for midnight on New Year’s Eve.
If you don’t meet this deadline, you’re said to be dragging your baggage into the new year.