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Original poster

When to take down Christmas decorations?

96 replies

ProcrastinatingUntilNextYear · 05/01/2023 10:12

I’ve had so much bad luck that I don’t want to risk anymore and so I want to take down the Christmas decorations on the ‘right’ day this year. Do they come down today (5th) or tomorrow 6th?

YABU - they come down tomorrow (6th)
YANBU - they come down today (5th)

OP posts:
Workbabysleeprepeat · 05/01/2023 11:03

@DappledThings aha I didn’t realise that 👍

Phrenologistsfinger · 05/01/2023 11:05

Up on Christmas Eve, down on 6th January here. Although I’m pretty pagan so would leave later but we are elsewhere for Christmas and going home on 8th Jan. I tend to leave fairy lights up until spring to help with SAD.

Simplelobsterhat · 05/01/2023 11:06

I'm never sure if the tradition / superstition us to take them down before , on, or after 12th night - is that what you are asking OP. I've seen so many different interpretations.

I'm not religious at all. The main things Christmas mean to me are some good time with family and lightening/ cheering the darkest part of the year. From that point of view I tend to stick roughly to 12th night tradition - the time from Christmas to new year inclusive is when we have time to see extended family etc, so I certainly wouldn't want it all over before new year's day like some people do. And 12th night gives approximately 2 weeks after the shortest day (and usually put them up 2-3 weeks before shortest day). It seems too depressing to rush to get rush if light and decorations whilst still in the darkest few weeks.

This year I'm even less inclined to rush it as in Wales the kids aren't back in school until Monday, so in some ways I feel like it's Christmas until then, although I probably won't wait that long.

TheLeadbetterLife · 05/01/2023 11:10

honeylulu · 05/01/2023 11:03

If going with tradition (I do) it's Twelfth Night which is this evening, all decorations are supposed to be gone by sunrise on Twelfth Day - 6 January/Epiphany. This is a curiosity from the middle ages when the next "day" started at dusk, hence why Christmas Eve is now on 24th - historically the beginning of Christmas Day/25th would have been dusk on what is now 24th.

Any decs that stay up beyond Twelfth Night should stay until Candlemas (2 February) which commemorates Mary attending the temple for purification after giving birth. Women were not allowed to attend temple whilst bleeding apparently!

The Royal family keep their decorations up at Sandringham until 2 Feb. I've noticed this is done on the continent too, at least the big tree in town squares and the nativity scenes in churches. I keep our nativity set up until 2 Feb as the Kings only arrive on 6 January!

My tree will be declad and taken down tonight. I took most of the other decorations down on 2 Jan as it was my last day off work. If Twelfth Night falls on a weekend then I keep everything up until then, but it's too much to do all at once in a week night.

Most people seem to take their tree down earlier but I really love the last few days of twinkly lights after work/school.

This is why in a lot of European countries the big Christmas celebration is on the evening of the 24th and goes on past midnight. Kids stay up late, there's a big meal and presents. I love it, because living in the EU now I get two Christmases, as I do the traditional British thing on the 25th.

Town decorations and nativity scenes stay up here until after King's Day (6th). They'll probably start taking them down on Monday.

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps · 05/01/2023 11:14

@ProcrastinatingUntilNextYear

I would say the 6th January, but if you're particularly concerned that 'superstition' says they have to be down by the 6th, you could take him down on the 5th to be on the safe side.

We actually took all ours down on the 3rd of January, been up since the first, all the decorations, the lights in the house, and all over the garden and bushes and everything. So we thought, well life's back to normal on the 3rd with everyone back at work and school and everything. So we just took them all down in the afternoon...

You will get a load of posts saying 'oooh I took MINE down at one minute past midnight on Christmas day/Boxing day.' And 'I took MINE down on the morning of the 27th December, even through they didn't go up til Christmas Eve Eve.' Ignore them. No-one in real life does this.

sandgrown · 05/01/2023 11:15

6th if Jan is a big celebration in parts of Europe and in Italy the Befana brings gifts. My tree goes up late but always up until 6th Jan. I can understand people being fed up if they put the decorations up in November like my friend!

mogtheexcellent · 05/01/2023 11:15

5th but we usually leave up till 6th as its FILs bday and we usually host.

This year is complicated as I am v busy at work (typing this while kettle boiling!) and due to having guests all the boxes for the xmas decs are in the loft (and everything is muddled in them) and I cant get them down till sat. Ive taken most of the general decs down and its piled up in my office which is not great. I'll have to chuck all the tree decs in a box tonight and sort on sat. Theres are lot of fragile ornaments so Im hoping they will be ok.

Porch fairy lights will stay up as we have no porch light and cant see the keyhole without them so needed until the early evenings get brighter.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 05/01/2023 11:17

I usually take mine down New Year's Day but this year they came down on the 30th December

Phos · 05/01/2023 11:19

My calendar says it's Twelfth Night today so DH is currently taking the decs down whilst I pretend I'm busy at work (WFH job)

maddy68 · 05/01/2023 11:20

Today for me

GimmeBiscuits · 05/01/2023 11:21

I have absolutely no interest in superstitious nonense about one day being more opportunity than any other.
My decorations are still up because I like them. Might take them down at the weekend, if I can be bothered.

Veryactivenymphomaniac · 05/01/2023 11:22

We tend to have fairy lights all year round now, we live in a very old house with small windows and low ceilings so I like the sparkle.
I'm loathe to take the tree down, it's so pretty. I think it might be Sunday though. I start my new job on Monday so that seems right.

NewDogOwner · 05/01/2023 11:24

We take ours down on the day before the return to school to mark the end of the holiday period.

NewDogOwner · 05/01/2023 11:24

One year we did keep it up till March because it was so pretty.

Timeforachangeisitnot · 05/01/2023 11:29

Learning so much from this thread. Had to google Candlemas, and Kings Day is a new one on me , AND I spent a lot of time in Anglican Church as a child . Clearly not paying attention.

Anyway despite my roots, mine were all down by 31st Dec as I am another who likes things tidied up by New Year.

Peridot1 · 05/01/2023 11:31

We usually try to take down before 12th night which for me somehow is always the 6th. I grew up in Ireland and I think we always took them down on the 6th which is Little Christmas.

Ive just brought all the boxes in from the garage and will start today. Keeping all the battery candles and some lights up though until the evenings get a bit brighter.

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 05/01/2023 11:35

The 5th is twelfth night, the 6th is Epiphany.
Both are traditional options for taking down the decorations (we will be taking ours down tonight).
But whenever you like really 😁.

MenopauseSucks · 05/01/2023 11:46

I put mine up in the days leading up to Xmas, sometimes even Christmas Eve so I usually wait until the 5th Jan to remove them.
The lights artfully draped over the bushes in the front garden will remain until Candlemas & maybe even later if the weather is crap as they lift my spirits when I come home in the dark!

dementedpixie · 05/01/2023 11:49

Notplayingball · 05/01/2023 10:56

Also worth bearing in mind that in Scotland the festivities carry on until at least 1st January (need 2nd January off for this reason to relax after New Year's Day celebrations with family). Bringing down the tree before 1st/2nd January just would seem wrong for some.

I'm in Scotland and took mine down on new years eve

Coasterfan · 05/01/2023 12:36

We will take ours down at the weekend, they have been up since 19th November, I love them so much!

Skyeheather · 05/01/2023 12:39

They come down today, took mine down yesterday though because the kids went back to school today.

Lost123454 · 05/01/2023 12:43

Hard to believe people have still got them up

Kinnorafron · 05/01/2023 12:44

Lost123454 · 05/01/2023 12:43

Hard to believe people have still got them up

I have a cryptocurrency opportunity for you if you think that's hard to believe.

Phrenologistsfinger · 05/01/2023 12:45

Lost123454 · 05/01/2023 12:43

Hard to believe people have still got them up

Why, it’s literally what the tradition is?!

I find the people who start Christmas in November weird as it’s totally ignoring tradition and basically copies what the shops do, so basically commerce has become the religion now! I’m no Christian but it is pretty ridiculous…

Womencanlift · 05/01/2023 12:46

Lost123454 · 05/01/2023 12:43

Hard to believe people have still got them up

And I find it odd that people take them down in December but you know what I realise that people are different so it is definitely not “hard to believe”

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