When Should You Take Down Holiday Decorations
Now that the holidays have basically come and gone, you need to find time to take down the tree, decorations, lights, and everything else you hated putting up.
As we prepare for 2020 and everyone is basically back at work and/or school, it’s getting a little tacky you still have those decorations up. Now, there is a tradition dating back to the Victorian era that says decorations are supposed to come down on the Twelfth Night.
Don’t know what the Twelfth Night is or when it is? Neither do we but according to mirror.co.uk., here are the answers you are looking for.
First let’s find out when is Twelfth Night:
Depending on what you're celebrating it's either January 5 or January 6, and the last day you should keep those holiday decorations up.
If you remove your decorations a day sooner or later than the Twelfth Night, it can be unlucky. If it is after the Twelfth Night, you should leave them up all year long. To answer your question on what day to take them down, Twelfth Night falls on January 5 and Epiphany on January 6. Twelfth Night gets its name because traditionally Christmas was a 12 day celebration, beginning on December 25. Does the song 12 Days of Christmas start to make sense now?
There is confusion created by this date debacle because some will class January 6 as Twelfth Night because it is the 12th day after Christmas. Epiphany marks the end of Christmas when the Three Kings came to visit bearing gifts, guided by the star. This star is represented in the twinkling lights your dad hates to hang every year on your house.
Why is it unlucky to miss out on the correct day to take down decorations?
Tree-spirits. You read that right, tree-spirits.
Apparently it was believed that tree-spirits took refuge in the greenery, like holly and ivy, which people used to decorate their homes. Fast forward to the 21st century, the good old fashioned pine tree and mistletoe becomes homes to the tree-spirits, if you believe in that. To make sure you don’t get bad luck, you need to release them when Christmas concludes.
If this tradition didn’t happen, the bad luck that occurred would be that greenery would not return and vegetation would not grow causing agricultural and then food problems.
Does everyone follow these traditions?
Obviously not.
First, there is still that disagreement on whether January 5 or January 6 is actually Twelfth Night. Also, people celebrate Christmas and different holidays around the world.
So is it the 5th or 6th of January that I should take my decorations down?
Honestly, just pick one.
The whole Twelfth Night and Epiphany stuff is comes from Christianity. Just know that January 5th is the end of old time Christmas celebration for Christians and the 6th starts Epiphany. Depending on where you live and how much time you have on your hands, you’re probably going to take them down when the hangover goes away, or when the kids go back to school.
Just know that if you leave them up until April, people will judge you.