Twelfth night traditions ....

Hi everyone,

I hope you have followed tradition & managed to get your decorations down in time for Twelfth Night or Epiphany. My late grandmother was a stickler for traditions & we used to be amused by it but as I have got older, I have come to appreciate how she ingrained these in us &  in turn my late Mother & now myself follow them too as they are our traditions too.

My decorations came down last a few days ago for practical reasons, however,  I still find odd decorations tucked away that I missed & I have to gather them up or 'leave them up for the year' according to my Grandmother's mantra ...

This weekend,  I realised I had not bought in a Christmas cake as no one else eats it, so I bought a single slice at the farm shop - beautifully baked & something to be savoured.

I made a cup of tea in my lovely Royal Albert set (used too seldom as it needs hand washing .... ) and settled down to enjoy the tea & cake while surveying the changed sideboard. Mmmm the silver deer need to be packed away still ...

I realised that we have also not managed to eat through the bowls of nuts in their shells I always buy because my Dad always cracked nuts for us at Christmas. In spite of my best intentions, I find that some shells are just too hard to crack so they remain in the bowl in January ...

Our front door garland, made & gifted with love each year by a students Mum, is always the last thing to come down.

The clusters of big red baubles are taken down from the topiary tree & the sets of twinkling battery lights are removed from the topiary on each side of the door & the tree.  I will miss their pretty glow at night ...

I always leave the door wreath up till Twelfth Night, then the large bows & decorations are taken off before it is moved to the garden where the birds enjoy the leaves & moss for a few weeks still.

It is lovely to look at the wreath from the house for a bit still as the birds flit in & out stripping off bits for their nests.

Our inglenook fireplace always looks so bare when the green garland comes down & each year I find the transition difficult ... 

While finding the pink fabric heart, I found the paper music bunting I had made - perfect

The bunting was made from music instruction pages from an old book.  I cut the pages to make bunting then laminated for strength ... 

The fabric heart was bought some years back at a local Christmas fair

The red coffee table runner has given way to a simple IKEA runner. My special bits are back 

The pink hyacinths I bought in the Christmas week down south are now blooming - welcome colour& a glorious scent ...

The hyacinths I planted in October will be ready - sometime soon! I am absolutely hopeless at getting them to flower at Christmas hence the bought ones ...

I know - decorations away but .... after my Indian adventure with Ms M, I bought her one of these decorations then my friend Ellie & Godsons bought me one & the girls gifted me a second one because they know how I like symmetry. However, I am reluctant to pack them away ...

I know - I kid myself that if the deer family loose their red ribbon they might stay too.  What do you think? There are some brass deer on the top of the fireplace which need company ..... 

The dining room now has its glass candlesticks & some bright pink tea light holders, along with a favourite brightly embroidered cloth which looks a lot more cheerful. I can see the shed wreath from the window.

A wonderful basket of plants gifted by a visiting cousin are the perfect colours & the greenery is welcome.

While getting out the tablecloths, I found a TIME runner I had from a previous setting -  I know, it still needs a hem so if it is where I can see it, I will remember to do it.

Delicate lilac plants on the table which is now set with an overlay cloth to brighten it up - I know I will enjoy having tea there while looking at the garden wildlife ...

Daughter collection of vintage cameras are back on top, along with the candlesticks.

The bright pinks are a welcome change from the reds of Christmas.

Christmas is done for another year, but my collection of Ethiopian crosses will symbolise the religious celebration of Epiphany or Twelfth Night as we celebrate another Christmas over.

I hope you have managed to get everything put away for another year. Thank you for stopping by & for taking the time to comment.
Dee ~♥~