When to take Christmas decorations down: 12th night 2023 date, why tradition exists, what to do with Xmas tree

Saying goodbye to Christmas is never easy, but tradition says we have to do so this week. Here’s when to take your Christmas tree down
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Christmas 2022 is all but over given New Year 2023 has been and gone, and schools have started to go back for another term.

It was the first time many of us got to celebrate a ‘normal’ Christmas full of parties, family events and food. While Covid-19 has by no means gone away, the pandemic has not affected our festive celebrations in the same way it did during 2020 and 2021.

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Putting up a Christmas tree and decorating it was one of the few festive traditions that we were able to keep with us throughout the pandemic. However, some traditions have fallen by the wayside over the last two years as many people kept their decorations up well after Twelfth Night.

12th Night is the date when we ‘have’ to take our festive decorations - including our Christmas trees - down. Despite not having always involved trees, this traditional endpoint for the Christmas season has been marked for centuries.

So, when does Twelfth Night actually fall, why do we stop celebrating Christmas on this particular day - and what can you do with your old Christmas tree? Here’s what you need to know.

Christmas decorations will begin to disappear from the UK’s streets over the coming days (image: AFP/Getty Images)Christmas decorations will begin to disappear from the UK’s streets over the coming days (image: AFP/Getty Images)
Christmas decorations will begin to disappear from the UK’s streets over the coming days (image: AFP/Getty Images)

When is 12th night 2023?

Tradition has not been adhered to much since the Covid pandemic, with people leaving their Christmas trees up well into January and even longer to keep spirits high during national lockdowns and spikes in cases.

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But staunch traditionalists will take down their tinsel, baubles and fairy lights before midnight on Twelfth Night. There is no definitive date for when Twelfth Night should fall and there is often confusion over whether it falls on 5 or 6 January.

This is because it is related to a religious festival - the Feast of Epiphany - and different denominations of Christianity mark it on different days.

After 2020’s Covid-affected Christmas, some Brits kept their Christmas lights up (image: Shutterstock)After 2020’s Covid-affected Christmas, some Brits kept their Christmas lights up (image: Shutterstock)
After 2020’s Covid-affected Christmas, some Brits kept their Christmas lights up (image: Shutterstock)

Under Anglicanism, which is the most popular form of Christianity in the UK, the day is marked on 5 January - exactly 12 nights on from Christmas night itself.

There is nothing in the bible telling people to stop celebrating Christmas on this date. Indeed, there are records from Tudor times of people continuing to mark the festive season right up until February.

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The reason why Twelfth Night is viewed as the date on which to take your decorations down is thought to have originated during Victorian times. Victorians have influenced many of our typical Christmas activities, such as writing Christmas cards.

Business is thought to be the reason for why they curtailed the festive season. Factory owners are believed to have been desperate to get their employees back to work as soon as possible.

There is also a popular belief that it is unlucky to leave your decorations up after Twelfth Night - although why this might be the case is unclear.

Twelfth Night marks the day when the three kings visited the baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (image: Shutterstock)Twelfth Night marks the day when the three kings visited the baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (image: Shutterstock)
Twelfth Night marks the day when the three kings visited the baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (image: Shutterstock)

What are the origins of 12th Night?

Twelfth Night originates from the Feast of Epiphany, which is also known as Three Kings’ Day. In the bible, it is when the Magi - otherwise known as the three kings or three wise men - visited the baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh after having followed the Star of Bethlehem.

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This event marked the moment where Jesus was first revealed to the world. Indeed, the word ‘epiphany’ comes from the Greek word meaning ‘to reveal’.

While the Feast of Epiphany is not a widely celebrated occasion in the UK, it is one of the most important days of Christmas in Spain and the countries that make up Latin America. El Dia de los Reyes - as Epiphany is known in the Spanish speaking world - takes place on 6 January and is considered to be just as important as Christmas.

There are a number of environmentally friendly options for disposing of your Christmas tree (image: Getty Images)There are a number of environmentally friendly options for disposing of your Christmas tree (image: Getty Images)
There are a number of environmentally friendly options for disposing of your Christmas tree (image: Getty Images)

Many people take another day off, set off fireworks, take part in parades and exchange gifts.

For Eastern Orthodox Christians, who tend to live in Eastern Europe, Russia and Near Eastern countries like Armenia, Epiphany is the day Christmas is celebrated. They mark it on 6 January because they use the Julian Calendar rather than the Gregorian Calendar used by much of the western world.

What could you do with your Christmas tree?

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With environmental consciousness more prevalent than ever, many people have been thinking more and more about how their Christmas celebrations impact on the environment. Besides storing away your tinsel, baubles and - if you have one - your fake tree for next Christmas, there are several green things you can do with your real Christmas tree.

As well as re-potting your plant to save it for next Christmas, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has several recommendations for what you could do with your tree. These include:

  • Letting it rot: If you have enough garden space to let nature take its course, letting your tree rot can support insects and other wildlife and improve soil quality
  • Shredding or chopping the tree up: Doing this can provide mulch for shrubs and pathways. Some councils and retailers can shred your tree for you. But chopping it up with secateurs will achieve the same results over a longer period
  • Creating a dead hedge: A wildlife-friendly option, you could create a garden boundary using your own tree and those donated by neighbours
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