What day is good luck to take down the Christmas tree?
Many followers of the Christian faith believe that the Twelfth Night (i.e. twelve days after Christmas) is when decorations should come down. Some believe keeping your decorations up after the Twelfth Night is bad luck.
What day should you take your Christmas tree down?
Most of the tradition around the taking down of Christmas decorations is centered around the tree. Traditionally, the Christmas tree should stay up until the 'Twelfth Night' (5th or 6th January).
Date. In many Western ecclesiastical traditions such as the Lutheran and Anglican denominations of Christianity, Christmas Day is considered the "First Day of Christmas" and the Twelve Days are 25 December – 5 January, inclusive, making Twelfth Night on 5 January, which is Epiphany Eve.
Dating back to the fourth century, many Christians have observed the Twelfth Night — the evening before the Epiphany — as the ideal time to take down the Christmas tree and festive decorations.
When should I take my Christmas tree down for good luck?
Historically Christmas, the 12 days of Christmas, means you should put up your tree on Christmas eve and take it down on the 12th night (as mentioned in the Shakespeare play of the same name) or the festival of Epiphany on January 6. It is said to be bad luck to leave your decorations up longer than that.
Is it bad luck to take your Christmas tree down before New Year's?
Do you take decorations down on 5th or 6th January?
The theory that it's bad luck to leave decorations up beyond Twelfth Night (around 6 January) is a modern take on the tradition, but doing so used to be normal practice in the medieval period.
Christmas tradition usually places January 5 as the last day of Christmas. Meanwhile, in religious calendars, January 6 is the Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings. These are popular dates when planning when to take your Christmas tree down.
Why do you leave your Christmas tree up until January 6th?
Epiphany, also known as the Feast of the Three Kings or Twelfth Night, is a Christian holiday celebrated on January 6th each year. This date extends the festive spirit well into the new year. Epiphany commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men or Magi—Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar—to Jesus in Bethlehem.
“Many families take down their trees between December 26 and January 6 when people celebrate Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, as it marks the end of the Christmas season,” says Andra DelMonico, lead interior designer at Trendey. “Still, some individuals take down the tree on New Year's Day to begin the new year fresh.”
January 5, or the Three Kings Eve is also a night of family gatherings. Kids and adults collect grass for the Three Kings camels (or horses) that will come in the night to bring gifts, the Kings deliver the gifts next to the children's bed.
For many around the world, January 6th marks the Epiphany, celebrating the 12 days of Christmas and the time for all holiday decorations to come down. For others, the second week of January is a typical time for the holiday lights to be unplugged and stored away until next year. But it's not that simple.
Traditionally, Christmas trees and decorations are taken down on Twelfth Night, which marks the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Twelfth Night is generally celebrated on the evening of the 5th of January. Twelfth Night is rooted in Christian tradition.
January 1st and the 6th are two days people look at as a time for a fresh start and the perfect time to start taking down their holiday decor. These dates "are often linked to the end of the holiday season in many cultures," Abby Pendergrast, an interior stylist and set designer says.
Once the holiday season is over, promptly dispose of your Christmas tree. The longer a tree stays up, the more of a fire hazard it becomes. Don't store an old tree in your home or garage. Discard trees within one month of purchase or when the tree begins to drop needles, whichever comes first.
Why is it bad luck to take your Christmas tree down before the new year?
Taking a Christmas tree down by New Year's Eve (December 31) is another tradition for some who believe it's bad luck to leave a tree up into the new year. This date is seen as the end of the holiday season when the return to work and school is near.
How long are you supposed to leave your Christmas tree up?
In some families, tradition dictates that all decorations come down on Epiphany, Jan. 6, marking the Twelfth Night when the Wise Men visited baby Jesus. Others prefer not to wait that long, taking down the tree the morning after Christmas and cleaning the house in time for New Year's Eve festivities.
Why do Catholics celebrate Christmas until January 6th?
Even before 354, the Western Church had separated the celebration of the Nativity of Christ as the feast of Christmas and set its date as December 25; it reserved January 6 as a commemoration of the manifestation of Christ, especially to the Magi, but also at his baptism and at the wedding feast of Cana.
In these traditions, the festive period extends well into January, often until Old New Year (January 14th) or even Epiphany celebrations on January 19th. Why this timing? Orthodox customs honor the extended Nativity season, and taking down the tree too soon might feel premature when festivities are still ongoing.
The Church of England celebrates Twelfth Night on 5th January, and the season of Epiphany from 6th January to 2nd February. However, some mark 6th January as Twelfth Night, counting the 12 days after Christmas Day, which is where the confusion stems from.
When should UK Christmas decorations be taken down?
Many followers of the Christian faith believe that the Twelfth Night (i.e. twelve days after Christmas) is when decorations should come down. Some believe keeping your decorations up after the Twelfth Night is bad luck.
And with that tradition comes permission (or maybe a delightful excuse) to keep the Christmas magic alive just a little bit longer. January 6th, also known as Epiphany, celebrates the visit of the Wise Men to baby Jesus, marking the official end of the Christmas season in many traditions.
How long do Christmas trees last after you cut them down?
A healthy, fresh-cut Christmas tree will last for four to five weeks if properly cared for. Even then, the lifespan of your tree may depend on what species you choose to put up.
Traditionally, all Christmas tree decorations are removed on the twelfth night after December 25, between January 5 and 6. This date corresponds to the journey of the Three Wise Men, who didn't arrive until 12 days after Christmas Day to bring their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
