Christmas lights.

I dont do Christmas lights but quite a few do around here, what I seem to notice these days is that the lights go up around the start of December, too early, and then by boxing day they get turned off.
Have I missed something?
They used to go well into the New Year, but they seem to start earlier now and finish earlier.
Does anyone else do this or is it just something that happens in my street.

 

6 December (St Nicholas Day) till 6 January (Twelfth Night) for us.

 

In the old world, Christmas in the North was a lovely layered cake of pagan mid- winter feast and Christianity.

Christianity told that fasting lasted until the last church service on Christmas Eve and obviously the celebrations came up right after, the tree, candles, feast and all.

Paganism/ Christianism ended the celebrations on 6th January when allegedly the three wise men finally found their way to Bethelem with their unpronouncible gifts.

In Finland, that's when santa (or "christmas goat") raided the houses for any leftover food, dressed as goats with fake beards and furry coats. 6th of January is still a bank holiday in Finland

In Southern Italy, Befana-witch comes to sweep Christmas away on 6th January, and drops presents to good kids.

Nowadays, I'm equally puzzled when my friends put their Christmas things up in October and hang on to them until mid- January. The lights are nice of course, a little light in the dark nights.

The timings seem a bit odd, perhaps we should start calling them "winter delights" or similar rather than focusing on Christmas?

 

I like Christmas lights. I remember my Grampa buying a special bulb that made the lights on his tree go in and out (that was back in the 50s). He'd make us sit on a settee for ages waiting for the bulb to warm up,
and then the lights would suddenly go OUT!
.... and ....... then .... IN
...and .. then OUT
and then In and then Out
and then in and out faster and faster as the special bulb warmed up
He thought it was marvelous, and I suppose it was for him because he'd grown up with candles and oil lamps.

Some people around here put their lights up at the end of October, and don't take them down until well into January. I really don't mind them but I don't like those gigantic santas and snowmen people put in their front gardens though.

 

The amount of lights here are well down on last year, even 1 house which usally is all lit up for Dec through to Jan isn't, but i have notice that he hasn't been to work for well over a month and a half but still got the works van, money may be now tight