Twelfth Night is upon us ...

I like to put up the decorations slowly over a few days & also to take them down on my own time, slowly, intentionally packing them away so I know where they are next year. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the festive packing up, so a little at a time makes it manageable because it has none of the excitement of putting it up. 

I try to keep to the tradition to have it all down by Twelfth Night. It links back to the rhyme of the 12 days of Christmas my true love gave to me and the hidden Biblical meaning behind the rhyme. 

I count the 12 days starting from Christmas day to the night of the 5th of January.... 

Today it was the living room that was packed up.  

The large Christmas tree with its white, rose & old gold ornaments (gold, silver & pink by any other name) were returned to their large container. 

The lights are wrapped around a cardboard sleeve (from an online shop), interspersed with bubble wrap & placed in a container with the large fireplace garland - lights still wrapped on it.  

I try not to focus on the change of space without the tree occupying the whole corner, but to embrace the space where I can read in the chair by the radiator. 

The conservatory was next,  time to light the candle, make some gifted Christmas coffee with a mince pie or piece of stollen. 

I love marzipan so opted for the stollen as a packing up treat. 

 The heart shapes were removed from the window blinds & the doors of the sideboard , the windows of the dining room & stored with those from the dining room etc. 

I like to keep like with like. The festive wares are packed up in a particular order, then they are returned to the tall cupboards in the kitchen.

The deer were next from the dining room clock & sideboard - 7 from there & 2 from the conservatory; all safely stored together in a container for another year. 

The dining room sideboard had the collection of 3 on the left, then one with animals on its back on the right.

I do love their presence & the woodland connection.  

The  little tree with the hand beaded ornaments were packed up gently. 

They have been a joy to pass several times a day, an eclectic collection that reminds me of my heritage. 

They have their own small tins that they are stored in.  

The wooden German decorations (bought in Munich some years ago) are stored in 2 little bags I made, again in their own little tin. 

Ms M & I bought them on a tour of several Christmas markets in Germany & Austria & I like the nod to the Prussian / German heritage of that great grandfather. 

He would have had similar decorations growing up which reminds me of the complex heritage I have. 

They were draped over great grandparents photo on the wall ... 

The conservatory sideboard has once again been well used with the various festive wares - they were returned to the high kitchen cupboard where I do use some of them from time to time. 

I have left the pretty festive Ralph Lauren tablecloth in the conservatory - the calming reds are not strictly festive so they can stay longer.  It replaced the tartan one midway after use. 

What to put on the sideboard? After the busy festive patterns, I seem to gravitate towards cream / Parian ware with a solitary vintage green plate holding centre court. 

I put up some pink patterns then my eyes fell on my ruby / cranberry glass in the kitchen. They are enough colour & still ties in with the table cloth so they came out.  I do love their colour & shapes - all vintage, Ms M & I collected some together in Dorset from the market stalls & a charity shop. They remind me that random ones can happily sit together. 

The family are not Christmas / fruit cake fans so our bought cake was uncut until today. 

The glass cake stand was one of Olive's and the cover is a salad bowl that fits exactly on the cake stand. 2 unconnected things that go well together in a practical sense. 

It is a wonderfully dense fruit cake that needs cake forks which I duly retrieved from the drawer. 

I have a selection of new red cake forks & spoons  that we use often. They are stored in a drawer in the conservatory. 

I also have a collection of 6 forks & little knives from Olive. 

Their fork tines are much closer together - she used to call them tea knife & forks & we use them for scones from time to time. They have pretty detail to their collar & are very dainty. 

The modern & vintage ones compliment each other quite happily, probably a half century apart in age but in the same colours. 

I think it is so important to use & enjoy the things you have. I handwash these because of the handles but it takes no time to do. 

The Wedgwood cream Parian ware bowl with lion head handles was planted up with pink cyclamen flowers some weeks before Christmas.  

It is perfect bowl shape goes well with the two matching bowls with their pink border next to it.  

The planter has pink & white hyacinths around the edge but they have not yet flowered so I just enjoy it as it is. 

I have learnt that hyacinths flower when they like & I seldom get them to flower at Christmas. However, the brighter colour is a good transition from festive to winter plants.

I think it is done for now, I know I will tinker with it but I do enjoy the change & I like to see other things out too. 

Moving things to their places brings a sense of calm & order to spaces. 

It is a ritual to take everything in the house down by Twelfth Night, a calming signal that the festive season has come to an end & normal life will resume with work & routine again. 

The last thing to come down is always from the front door. 

On Twelfth Night, I take down the front door wreath / garland. It is stripped of the adornments, ribbons etc then it is hung on the garden shed for a few more weeks. 

For me, this signals that the house reverts to its winter state. 

We always have a fresh door wreath & I love seeing it in the garden & how the birds flit in & out of it, helping themselves to the moss etc. 

I do not like to hurry through this period - I like a reset without abandoning this time of the calendar. 

Wintering touches stay - woodland scents of herbs like bay & rosemary, citrus, pine & eucalyptus remain.  We still have fluffy throws on chairs to curl up in while we read or relax with a warming tea or hot chocolate - slow living when time allows, as winter should be a time to slow down, hibernate even when possible. It is a slower time dictated by nature & the weather. 

I keep the twinkling lights on the kitchen windowsills which light up the glass candle holders - a reminder to enjoy the home I have. The windows face the garden & I love watching the changes happening outside the window & how the low light hits differently on the plants, sometimes making them glow. 

How do you do the change from the festive season after Christmas?  Do you just let winter be winter & enjoy it without trying to hurry it by? 

Thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated. 

Dee 🌲💐

Twelfth night ends the festivities ...

 Twelfth Night marks the journey of the 3 wise men to Bethlehem & it marks the time when all decorations should be down & packed away for another year. 

Mine came down & it all looks rather sparse again - a welcome change in many respects. 

The front door garland / wreath is always a fresh one & it is the last thing to come down. It has been repurposed to hang on our patio chimnea where the birds are often seen rummaging about. I always take off all the decorations first so it is a return to the greening of the house. 

The pretty festive china has not been used as much this year because the household was struck down by flu after Christmas so we were a rather sorry lot who were not up to too much festive gaiety. 

I love the rich berry colours of Christmas & decided to stick to those for a while so I changed the sideboard to Old Country Roses pattern by Royal Albert. I have owned this set for decades & love the classic style. I do not use it often enough because it needs handwashing & is not really child friendly as it is an expensive set.

However, with it out, we might just have a few special times with it. It might even stay up for ages to take in valentines day (that we don't celebrate) 

The candle holder with the heart insert is by Rosenthal  & is again a piece I have owned for years. 

It is a change & always nice to have favourite bits about.

Are your decorations down & have you managed to ease yourself in to 2023? 

Thank you for stopping by, you are always welcome, 

 Dee 💕

Time to pack away the decorations again ...

The rhythm of the seasons continues - the Christmas season is drawing to a close with Twelfth Night.

It is also the time to pack up everything - my late Grandmother was a stickler for observing such things, insisting that anything that is forgotten has to stay up for a year. Please tell me she was not the only one who believed such things ...

Do you follow these old traditions? The Geffrye Museum in London is such a believer that it holds a Farewell To Christmas event on the 6th January and encourages the public to come and burn their old decorations in a communal celebration.

'Twelfth Night combines elements of the Christian feast of Epiphany, the visit of the wise men to the stable at Bethlehem and the end of the 12 days around the pagan feast of Saturnalia, centred around the Winter solstice,' they told Good Housekeeping.

My 4 year old poinsettia has responded to the understairs treatment & there is a good sign of red bracts at last ..

Our tree has been a light in the darkness & it is now packed away safely again ...

The dining room fortunately was easier to pack up - I rather like my 2 ladies with their Xmas hats. 

The ladies also wore lights when their Christmas hats are needed

The warmth of the purple tartan is always welcome in Winter ...

This little tree usually holds my special hand beaded ornaments from South Africa - there are some new ones that the girls brought back from their recent visit .  They are a link to my roots in Africa & are an important part of my Christmas ... 

The other beaded ornaments adorned the hallway notice board again - a reminder of home as I come & go at home  ... 

The sideboard / dresser has been lovely with the Christmas china - the Spode Christmas tree plates, the Emma Bridgewater Christmas plates & other bits have been well used again, enjoyed & packed again. The red floral plates are Emma Bridgewaters Christmas Rose - a deep red hellebore pattern which symbolises the colours of the festive season.

The others plates are from the Emma Bridgewater Christmas collection - all gifted to me over the years ...

The Oliver Bonas marble topped cheese board (bottom left on the sideboard) was brilliant for the festive cheeses, the matching marble topped cake stand is always in demand because it is sturdy & elegant. 

Daughter set out a lovely cheeseboard for us - who else loves festive cheeses as much as I do. The cheeseboard top swivels & it holds the marble topped cheese knives. 

We all love cheese - Shropshire blue, a Welsh Brie, Wensleydale with cranberries, Welsh Black Bomber (a creamy cheddar) & the chilli cheese - perfect with local savoury biscuits .... 

The many cards are pegged on colourful threads on the fireplace. They are always appreciated, especially as they are on display.

Our main tree has been lovely to look at with the berry colours in soft pink, purple, lilac, raspberry & pearl colours which all sat well with each other. The corner always seems empty once it is packed again. 

I always miss the garland which spans the fireplace; the lights always make it special too as they twinkle each evening.  The fireplace always looks bare once as it comes down for another year ...

There are superstitions that bad luck will fall on a home that takes decorations down before the Twelfth Night – and if they're not removed by the fifth, you're supposed to keep them up for the whole year instead!

One of the last tasks is to remove the garland from the front door - it is still looking lovely so it will again be moved to the back garden where it will stay for a bit longer.

Stripped of its bow & adornments, it is attached to the from of the chimnea on the patio so it is visible from all the back windows of the house. The little robins, blue tits & sparrows have already been showing an interest in it .... 

Traditions are good to observe as they punctuate our lives with a rhythm & purpose; my decorations packed away on the Twelfth Night again.  Do you observe these traditions & is yours all packed away. Thank you for stopping by & taking time to read & comment ...
Dee ~💕~

Twelfth night - time for the decorations to all be down ...

Hi everyone

Are you still in the state of limbo between getting all the Christmas things down, going back to work & returning your homes to its pre-festive state?

My late grandmother was a stickler for traditions & always insisted that all the decorations were down by the night of the 5th of January. There is always a debate in the media about whether twelfth night falls on the 5th or the 6th of January, we have always observed the 5th as our night to have it all down.

Our door wreath is always the last thing to come down - it was again a welcome gift from the lovely Linda, a students Mum & it has been much admired since it went up. This year I had battery lights wrapped around it & it looked so welcoming.

The two topiary also had lights & those have come off, along with their present decorations ...

The door wreath always gets repurposed to the shed doors where it still looks lovely for a few more weeks, & the birds love pulling the moss out of the wreath for their nests.

A very cold & crisp day in the Shire as I repurpose our greenery - the second gifted wreath has been on our chimnea & it will stay there for a bit too  ...

I will miss the battery lights by the front door flicking on for 6 hours each night with their twinkling lights, but traditions must, so they are packed away for another year.  (The dark shapes on the facias are just shadows from the large bushes .... )

However, these  battery lightbulb lights have been in our living room - their batteries are still going strong so they will stay in the dining room for now as their lights flick on for a couple of hours each night ... aren't they pretty?

I took off our lovely fireplace garland in the week & replaced it with calm bunting & some lovely birds & hearts ... the Christmas card string was still up, that is now down ...

A lovely lavender bag which I bought on the markets in Dorset - handmade by a lovely lady - it is in the centre of the bunting

It looks much plainer & I always find the transition from the glorious Christmas decorations to January really difficult ...

As evening sets in, I light a gifted candle & think back over the Christmas period & the 12 nights since Christmas - it was a blessed time with friends & family!

I hope your Twelfth night is blessed, thank you for stopping by & taking the time to read & comment,
Dee ~♥~

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 ~♥~