When do people take down christmas decorations
When to Take Down Your Christmas Tree
Whether you put your Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving or on Christmas Eve, the sad truth is that eventually it will have to come down. Goodbye, bright lights, pretty ribbons, and DIY ornaments—until next year, that is! The question is, when exactly should you take down your Christmas tree? Some people want to enjoy their festive display as long as possible, while others start dismantling their decor the day after Christmas. While it's ultimately up to you to decide when to start storing your decorations, there are actually some rules about when to take down a Christmas tree, regardless of whether it's real or artificial.
Here's the history behind when and why you should take down your Christmas tree by a certain date.
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When should you take down a Christmas tree?
Most historians think the Christmas tree has roots in Christianity and first became popular in Germany in the Middle Ages. "Paradise trees" were decorated with apples, communion wafers, or cookies and displayed in homes on December 24, the Christian feast day of Adam and Eve. Religious reformer Martin Luther supposedly added candles in the 1500s, and by the 19thcentury, German-born Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, popularized the idea in England. Victorian trees were decorated with toys, candies, and popcorn strings. As Germans migrated, they brought their trees to other countries, and Christmas trees finally became popular in America by the 1870s.
According to tradition, a Christmas tree should be kept up until 12 nights after Christmas. In the Christian religion, the Christmas season ends on the Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 6. This marks the date when the Three Kings arrived to bring gifts to baby Jesus, and reportedly dictates the best time to take down your holiday decorations—including the Christmas tree. Some people even believe that waiting too long after the Twelfth Night to take the tree down could bring bad luck!
Of course, when to take down your Christmas tree is a personal choice.
That said, those with live trees need to be a little more careful.
When should you take down a Christmas tree to avoid a fire hazard?
Fresh trees can last a month or more if you know how to keep a Christmas tree alive. The trick? The absolute freshest tree is one you buy locally and cut down yourself, ideally at one of the best Christmas tree farms in your area. If it's a pre-cut tree, sap can seal off the bottom of the tree and prevent it from taking up water in the stand, so make a fresh cut straight across the trunk, removing about a 1/4-inch disk from the bottom.
Most importantly, make sure your tree stand holds a quart of water per inch of stem diameter; for most trees, you'll need a Christmas tree stand that holds at least a gallon. And don’t get lazy! Check the stand daily. Some stands still may have water but the trunk isn’t submerged, so get down and take a look to be on the safe side.
Once your tree starts to get crispy, extra dry, or drop tons of needles, it can become a fire hazard.
The good news is that Christmas tree fires aren't as common as you might suspect—though that doesn't mean they don’t happen at all. According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments respond to about 160 home fires that start with Christmas trees per year. In most cases, the fire was caused by faulty lighting or electrical issues, while heat sources such as candles too close to the tree caused fires about 20 percent of the time. That means it's important to inspect your lights and toss them whenever they're damaged or frayed and to keep your tree away from candles and heat sources such as the fireplace.
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Arricca Elin Sansone
Arricca SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more.
She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
When to Take Christmas Decorations and Christmas Tree Down
Kseniya OvchinnikovaGetty Images
Christmas and New Year has passed and we are all left wondering: When should we take down our Christmas tree and decorations? If you're desperate to cling on to that festive spirit, you'll be pleased to know that the 5th or 6th of January could be the answer, depending on which Christian calendar you follow.
These days, however, there are other factors that could determine when our decorations go up and come down, including the energy cost associated with multiple strings of fairy lights. Ultimately, it's the individual's choice, but if it's tradition you're after, keep reading...
When should you take your Christmas decorations down?
Most of the tradition around the taking down of Christmas decorations is centered around the tree because, back in the day, that was likely the only decoration.
Traditionally, the Christmas tree should stay up until the 'Twelfth Night' (more on this, and the exact date of when that is, below).
In modern times, however, Christmas decorations have got bigger and twinklier and spread all over the inside and outside of our homes. In terms of wider decorations – like lights in our gardens – there are less dictating traditions.
It's important to remember that there is no right or wrong answer. Some people prefer to keep decorations up longer to ease the January blues, while others can't wait to pack them away and have a deep clean.
Dan BrownswordGetty Images
In fact, during the pandemic, we saw a change in Christmas decoration timings, with people putting them up earlier and taking them down much later, in an attempt to add as much cheer as possible to two uncertain festive periods.
A campaign group in Nottinghamshire, Let's Light Up Locally, put up their Christmas decorations on 1st November in 2020. Tankerton village in Kent turned their Christmas lights back on in the middle of February 2021 to help lift the community's spirits during the winter lockdown.
Will this trend continue into 2023? Pandemic restrictions have lifted but, with other less than cheery headlines invading the news, could the same cheer-inspired longevity live on? Or will the cost of living crisis encourage people to only light up their homes during peak Christmas?
When to take Christmas tree down?
Christian tradition says your Christmas tree should stay up until the 'Twelfth Night', which celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men, or Magi, who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring their gifts to baby Jesus.
Practically, it's important to recycle real Christmas trees. In this case, we must make sure they are ready for collection by the local council, if that's the route you take. Read our guide on how to recycle a real Christmas tree.
When is the Twelfth Night?
The answer isn't as straightforward as you might think. While Christian tradition dictates advent is the four weeks prior to Christmas Eve (24th December), starting on a Sunday, different beliefs make the post-Christmas period harder to define, especially the Twelfth Night.
When to take your Christmas tree down is all dependant on when you start counting the '12 Days of Christmas', if you're going by tradition.
The Church of England counts from Christmas Day, so the Twelfth Night always falls on 5th January. But other denominations, including the Catholic Church, start counting the 12 Days of Christmas from Boxing Day, so the 6th January is the Twelfth Night and also Epiphany.
Daniel Kaesler / EyeEmGetty Images
What are the 12 Days of Christmas?
Each of the 12 days after Christmas has a special meaning, celebrating different saints with a feast day. For example, Boxing Day on 26th December commemorates St Stephen the martyr. That's why it's also known as St Stephen's Day.
What is Epiphany?
Epiphany is the official end of the festive season on 6th January each year. It's an ancient Christian feast day celebrating the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, and the arrival of the Three Wise Men.
Around the world, special services take place. In Rome, the Pope presides over the Vatican's Annual Holy Mass for the Epiphany.
What to do with Christmas tree and decorations after you've taken them down
Follow our helpful guides to make sure you wrap up Christmas as sustainably as possible this year:
Traditions and customs of celebrating Christmas in Great Britain
6723 Life and culture abroad
Thanks to Western films, we have a good idea of Catholic Christmas: shop windows decorated with illumination, ubiquitous Santas and smiles on the faces of people fussing on the eve of the holiday. However, Christmas traditions are not limited to stockings with gifts, and even those have their own history! We tell you how it is customary to celebrate Christmas in the UK.
Christmas tree
If in Northern Europe the festive tree has long been an integral attribute of Christmas, then Great Britain joined this custom only in the 1830s.
The first Christmas tree in England was put up in 1800 at the request of the wife of King George III, who was originally from Germany. However, the decoration of the Christmas tree became widespread later, thanks to the husband of Queen Victoria, Albert, who also had German origin. After he started decorating the Christmas tree at Windsor Castle, the tradition became national. nine0003
Today, the country's main Christmas tree is installed in London on Trafalgar Square. A tree is specially brought from Oslo every year: this is how the Norwegians thank the British for their help during the Second World War.
Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, the British complete the last preparations for the holiday, and devote the rest of the day to a relaxing holiday. In the evening, you can go to a midnight church service, go to a local bar to see friends, or even stay at home in warmth and comfort. Many families with children follow the good tradition of treating Santa and his reindeer and leave a piece of cake and a carrot near the fireplace before going to bed.
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Wassailing
In a nutshell, Wassailing is a Christmas toast to health. The name "Wassailing" comes from the Scandinavian expression "ves heill", which means "be healthy". The British borrowed this toast from the Danes around the 12th century, and later formed a whole festive tradition around it - walking from house to house on Christmas night, tasting the vosail prepared by the owners - a drink based on heated beer with cream, baked apples and spices - and wishing for strong health. Today, there are many variations of drinks for healthy toast, including mulled wine and warm spiced cider. nine0003
Christmas stockings with gifts
Gifts are the most important part of the winter holidays. In this, the children of the whole world are unanimous. On December 25, little Britons wake up at dawn to unpack the gifts Santa Claus hid for them in stockings hung by the fireplace. Where did this tradition, beloved by the whole world, but no less strange, come from?
It appeared thanks to the legend of St.
Nicholas, who became the prototype of Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas lived in the Greek village of Izmir, was rich and often helped the poor, but he always did it in secret. Once he decided to do a good deed and save the three daughters of a dying villager from poverty. He collected three bags of gold - for each of the sisters. However, all the windows to the poor man's house were locked. Saint Nicholas had no choice but to throw the gifts into the chimney. The bags landed right in the girls' socks drying near the hearth. nine0003
Christmas celebration
On the morning of December 25, everyone unpacks gifts, and in the afternoon, households and guests gather for a gala dinner.
Christmas in the UK is a purely family holiday, which attracts all relatives. Students leave campuses to see their parents, and even those who have moved to another country are sure to return to their father's house to spend Christmas with family and friends. nine0035
Roasted poultry with gravy meat sauce becomes an integral part of the festive feast.
The dish is served with "pigs in blankets" - cocktail sausages wrapped in bacon - and "devils on horseback" - dates also wrapped in bacon with nuts inside.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the meal is interrupted: the queen's congratulations begin to be broadcast on television. After that, everyone returns to the table. The rest of the day, the British devote to relaxing with their families: chatting, playing games, singing Christmas songs and cracking down on the remnants of a festive dinner. nine0003
Boxing Day
The day after Christmas is Boxing Day. Earlier on this day, wealthy people gave gifts to servants, and the poor went to church, where they were given donations from parishioners. Today, Boxing Day pleases the British with another official holiday, as well as the start of post-holiday sales. Therefore, shopping is a favorite pastime on this day.
The official end of Christmas comes on January 6, 12 days after the start of the holiday. On this day, it is customary to remove decorations from the Christmas tree and remove all other decorations.
However, in recent years, the British are in no hurry to say goodbye to Christmas: you really want to prolong your holiday mood! nine0003
Tell your friends:
before or after Epiphany, traditions, folk omens
After the New Year holidays, many people ask themselves the question: when should the Christmas tree be removed from the house. This question can be answered by the Orthodox calendar, folk signs and traditions.
There is no exact date for removing the Christmas tree after the New Year. Each family does it in its own way and on different days. However, there are people who honor traditions and think about such issues when studying the Orthodox calendar. There are those who claim that the Christmas tree must be removed from the house before Epiphany, and there are those who believe that this must be done after it. So how is it right? When should the Christmas tree be removed after the new year? nine0003
When it is customary to take apart the Christmas tree after the New Year: folk omens
When it is customary to disassemble the Christmas tree after the New Year: folk signs
When to clean the Christmas tree: before baptism or after, priest's advice, folk signs
When to clean the Christmas tree and how to do it according to the Orthodox calendar
Nevertheless, there are several specific rules that relate to the ritual of taking apart the New Year tree.
Most often, you can hear recommendations to disassemble the Christmas tree immediately after January 1. Actually this is wrong. So the holidays are still in full swing and many guests will come to you at Christmas, even possibly on the Old New Year. Someone thinks that the Christmas tree should be removed immediately after Christmas. However, this is not a completely correct statement. Most often, among Russians, one can meet the tradition of dismantling the New Year tree after January 14, that is, after the Old New Year. nine0003
Folk traditions and signs:
- Tradition has nothing to do with Orthodoxy or any specific signs. The fact is that it is after January 14 that the New Year holidays in schools for children end, and parents go to work. No serious holidays are planned with a large number of guests, so immediately after the celebration of the Old New Year, the tree is taken out of the house.
- A lot of signs and beliefs are connected with the New Year's beauty.
The fact is that according to Feng Shui, the Chinese New Year comes in late January - early February. It is up to this moment that the tree should stand. But the fact is that the New Year's tree dries up very quickly and simply cannot stand in the house until February 1. The needles dry out and crumble, respectively, the toys begin to fall. nine0073
When to remove the Christmas tree: before baptism or after, the priest's advice, folk omens
Most superstitious people say that the New Year tree must stand in the house until January 14, that is, until the old new year. Until that time, according to them, the Christmas tree gives the owners of the house good energy.
But according to popular beliefs, passed down from generation to generation, there is a tradition to remove the Christmas tree on Epiphany, which falls on January 19th. This image symbolized the end of the Christmas period. On the eve of Epiphany, our ancestors took out festive decorations from their homes.
But in those days, these decorations had a special meaning, they symbolized fertility. Also, all the symbols of the Christmas holidays were taken out of the houses, and the house was cleaned in order to meet the bright day, Epiphany. nine0003
At the same time, there was also a tradition to burn all the rubbish and bury the ashes in the field so that the New Year would be fertile. And some hid this ashes until the next Christmas and used it in Christmas divination.
As for the tree itself, it should never be thrown away. After all, in this way you can throw away prosperity and well-being along with the Christmas tree. Moreover, according to popular belief, people who threw away the Christmas tree lost their luck for the whole year. Therefore, the best option would be to carefully chop and burn. nine0003
When to remove the Christmas tree and how to clean it according to the Orthodox calendar
Usually the Christmas tree is removed as soon as the Old New Year is celebrated.
After the holiday, all New Year's paraphernalia is hidden away in the closet, and the usual gray everyday life begins, the New Year holidays end. According to the belief told by the ancestors, before the Old New Year, the spruce tree loses all its good energy, so after it it should no longer be in the house. In addition, after the holiday, citizens prepare for Epiphany, carry out general cleaning, and do not even think: perhaps the Christmas tree needs to be removed after Epiphany? nine0003
During the years of the Russian Empire, any holiday was related to the Orthodox calendar. It stated: all Christmas paraphernalia, including the Christmas tree, must be removed before Epiphany. That is, the New Year tree should be thrown away a maximum of January 18th. On the eve of Epiphany, Christmas time ends, after which all New Year's attributes are removed, garbage is taken out. It is worth remembering that the star is removed from the top of the head last.
Western and Eastern Slavs preferred to take out the hay, which was in the house during all Christmas time, in order to get rid of the accumulated negative energy.
