When to take Christmas decorations down: What are the twelve days of Christmas and when is twelfth night?
One of the great joys of Christmas is getting the house dressed for the festive season but when is the proper day to take them down again?
The right time to dress your home for Christmas is open to debate. While some like to stretch out the festive season for as long as possible, getting the tree up as early as November, others like to wait until Christmas Eve before the baubles come out, and there are all of those who go somewhere in between.
Whether you choose to deck the halls with boughs of holly or bathe your home in an explosion of tinsel and glitter, it’s also handy to have an idea, not only of when you like to put them up but also when it’s time to take them down again. However, opinions also differ on this too.
That said, there are a few traditions and superstitions that most tend to follow so read on to find out exactly when the Christmas festivities come to an end.
When do you take Christmas decorations down?
For those who would like to follow the traditional dates of Christmas, Twelfth Night is option number one. Landing on January 5, this is seen as the last day of Christmas and many believe it is bad luck to leave decorations up later than this date.
Just to add a little extra confusion into the mix here, some see Epiphany - which celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men - on January 6 as the official end of Christmas celebrations and is also a day that traditionally sees decorations removed for another year. And if you go even further back, Candlemas on February 2 is a medieval tradition where decorations stayed up for 40 days.
For those not following the Christian calendar, common dates for packing up the decs are New Year's Day, marking a fresh start, or the weekend after New Year's because, well, the festivities are over and you have a couple of days off to clear up. So you can follow the ‘rules’ or break with tradition, just do whatever works for you.
When are the twelve days of Christmas?
While some incorrectly believe the twelve days of Christmas act as a countdown to the big day, it’s actually the other way around. The first day of Christmas is, in fact, Christmas day itself. The twelve days run from December 25 until January 5 marking the journey of the Magi (or three wise men) to Bethlehem.
The twelve days culminate on the Epiphany on January 6 which celebrates the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the Magi.
The famous song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, is a winner for getting people in the festive spirit, detail an eclectic list of items gifted on each of the twelve days. However, the lyrics are believed to have secret religious meanings from a time when openly practicing Catholicism was banned in England.