Why do we take Christmas decorations down on January 6th?
Taking down Christmas decorations on January 6th (or the evening of the 5th) marks the end of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" and celebrates the Epiphany (Three Kings' Day), which commemorates the Magi visiting baby Jesus. Historically, keeping decorations up beyond this date, known as Twelfth Night, was considered bad luck.
The Epiphany falls on 6th January, which means the decorations should, in theory, be tidied away on the 5th. This is the most popular date! However, not everyone follows this tradition. Many countries, including Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic believe the Twelfth Night to be the 6th.
Why did Christmas change from January 6 to December 25?
According to Roman Catholic sources, the date was changed from January 6th to December 25th in order to override a pagan feast dedicated to the birth of the Sun which was celebrated on December 25th. At the time Christians used to continue their observance of these pagan festivities.
Do Christmas decorations come down on 5 or 6 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.
Twelfth Night is on January 5, the eve of Epiphany, which falls on January 6 in the Christian calendar. Epiphany signifies the event of the Magi, or Wise Men, visiting the baby Jesus. In some Latin cultures, it is known as Three Kings Day.
Here’s when to take down your Christmas tree, according to tradition
When was Jesus's actual birthday?
Jesus was likely born between 6 and 4 BC, not on December 25th, with many scholars pointing to the reign of King Herod the Great as a key indicator, as the gospels state Jesus' birth occurred shortly before Herod's death around 4 BC, though the exact date remains unknown and traditions vary.
The festival season, which begins on Christmas Day (December 25), ends on the evening of January 5 (called Twelfth Night); this marks the end of Christmas festivities and, in ancient Celtic tradition, the end of the 12-day winter solstice celebration.
You should take down a nativity scene after the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6th, or the Sunday after) to mark the end of the official Christmas liturgical season, but many traditions extend it to Candlemas (February 2nd) for the Presentation of Jesus, with no strict rule, though early removal after New Year's is also common for practical reasons.
6 December is Saint Nicholas Day – or Nikolaus in Germany. While the date receives its most elaborate religious celebrations in Southern Germany and other traditionally Catholic regions, children across the country (and much of Europe) still look forward to it with excitement each year.
Both greetings are acceptable across December and on Christmas Day. In casual contexts it is also common to extend the exchange into the days following 25 December by saying Hope you had a Merry Christmas as people reconnect after the holiday.
6 January is celebrated as the feast of Epiphany, which begins the Epiphanytide season. A superstition in English-speaking countries suggests it is unlucky to remove Christmas decorations before Twelfth Night (or to leave them up after Twelfth Night).
WHAT IS EPIPHANY AND WHAT DOES IT CELEBRATE? Epiphany is a feast celebrating the revelation of Jesus Christ to the world. The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphaneia, meaning appearance or manifestation.
When should Christians take down the Christmas tree?
In the Christian religion, the Christmas season ends on The Feast of Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 6. -Christmas trees should be taken down on the 12th night after Christmas, which is January 6th. This is also known as the Feast of Epiphany, which marks the end of the Christmas season in the Christian faith.
The last day is known as Epiphany. Because the Christmas season doesn't traditionally end until Jan. 6 in Christian theology, many opt to keep their decor up for the full 12-day period. Epiphany marks the day when three kings traveled to Bethlehem to meet baby Jesus.
Like in the UK, Football matches and Horse racing meetings are traditionally held on this day. In Irish (or Gaelic) Christmas is 'Nollaig', Santa Claus is known as 'San Nioclás' or 'Daidí na Nollag' (Father Christmas) and Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Nollaig Shona Dhuit'.
The date on which Christmas is celebrated varies depending on the church or sect. Protestants and Catholics celebrate Christmas on December 25 and Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 6. The reason for this difference in Christmas celebration dates is that churches adopt different calendars.
During the Jubilee of Hope this year in Rome, many are already talking about the big Jubilee year of 2033 a.d, the year in which our calendar marks the 2000th anniversary of the passing and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Now, it's virtually undisputed that Jesus spoke or at least understood three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The opinions begin to differ regarding what Jesus' primary language was. For years the academic and theological community has dogmatically taught that Jesus primarily spoke Aramaic.
"Tradition recommends the Twelfth Night as the exact date to get the boxes down from the loft and pack away your tree and other decorations," says Sumner. "Twelfth Night commemorates the eve of the arrival of the Three Wise Men and the end of the Christmas festivities.
In the Latin Church, Epiphany is traditionally celebrated with an octave, beginning on January 6 and ending on January 13. From 1893 until 1955 the Sunday within that octave had been the feast of the Holy Family, and Christmastide was reckoned as the twelve days ending on January 5, followed by the January 6–13 octave.
