'The Twelve Days' thing

[AInightingale]

I remember my mum remarking once that when she was a child (1940s into the 50s) that no-one put their Christmas tree up until Christmas Eve or the day before that. Granted, it was a real tree, and they don't last (plus most had real candles on them, so I daresay the less time they were up the better). The tree and a few decorations then stayed up until 6th January. Does anyone remember any elderly relative saying similar? I just ask because I have a couple of neighbours with their decorations up already (some have been up since the day before Hallowe'en) and it absolutely riles me because it's autumn, and Christmas is a winter festival - to me the overkill detracts massively. I could most definitely return to the old ways, I probably would if I lived alone!

My parents still take theirs down on the 12th day, unconfirmed whether they sing the song to build up. My friend is Danish, their decorations go up on 24th, down on 26th first thing.

Who cares if other people have theirs up? Their house, their rules.

As for Christmas being a winter thing then I guess you can either go from 1st or 21st, depending which definition you use.

There's no rules, you can choose and enjoy it however you like. Personally I put our decorations and tree up around a week before and take them down new year's day.

As a child we put ours up around 20th December, down on 6th January.

I have friends who buy a real tree and put it up on 24th.

Ours goes up around 8-11 December, once I've finished a big work thing and DD's birthday has passed, they come down on 6th after King's (we're in Spain), or possibly 7th. Kids go back on 8th January this year, so I might take decs down that weekend. No rush, we like having them up. But being abroad here means the Christmas season is longer, it's great, it doesn't all stop on boxing day.

My Grandad always said theirs only went up on Christmas Eve, was baffled by my Grandma always wanting it up the first weekend of December.

Ours will be early-mid December, depending whether a potential trip happens or not. I saw something cute on Instagram the other day we might do as DS is only 2, get a little bare minimum conifer or suchlike, put it in the spot the tree will go and have him sprinkle some glitter on it before he goes to bed, then gets up in the morning to a big lit-up tree! 😍

Yeah - I do like the tree down by NYD, regardless of tradition, there is something a bit odd about decorations still being up in January. But I still think a more compressed period is nicer and more festive. I don't care about my neighbours decorating now but unfortunately they've moved to the roof and the garden and it's pretty much in your face, flashing lights for eight weeks!

Ive always put my Christmas tree up on 23 or 24 December, and take it down on 12th night. It was very unusual for anyone to have a tree up more than a week before Christmas when I was a child, and I hate seeing Christmas decorations up in November.

The 12 Days of Christmas begin on December 25 (Christmas Day) and continue through January 5, the day before the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6).

https://focus.org/posts/what-are-the-12-days-of-christmas/

My parents born in 1915 and 1919 respectively and I'm nearly 70. I don't know anyone that put their tree up that late and definitely nobody that used real candles on it. I think they do that in Germany? The tree always went up around mid December and was adorned with the usual baubles and chocolate decorations and always with a fairy/angel on the top. The decorations in our house always came down on the 6th but I think many people take them down on the 5th.

Someone I know believes that the 12 days of Christmas starts on the 1st December and puts things on Facebook between the 1-12th December to mark it. I’m not sure why they believe this, and then why there’s a gap between the 13th and 25th December, but hey. They do them.

Yes. I mean your mother didn’t invent the concept of the 12 days of Christmas!

As Christmas is becoming more of a secular festival and moving away from it's original Christian roots, many people are now unfamiliar with its history and original traditions. The 12 days of Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ and the arrival of the Magi (otherwise known as the three wise men) on 6 Jan, the Epiphany or Twelfth Night.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Days_of_Christmas

https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/the-real-twelve-days-of-christmas

My mother said the same: tree up on Christmas Eve and down on 6 January.

I always put mine up a bit earlier than that - more like the 15th December. We usually have friends for lunch on the Sunday before Christmas and I like the house to be decorated by then. When was working I used to take everything down on the Sunday before I went back to work. Now I’m retired, I tend to keep it until 6 Jan. I always have a real tree, but get one of the modern varieties ones that don’t drop their needles.

Christmas decs started originally as the winter solstice not Christmas so as long as it’s cold no prob.

It's been shown, time and time again, that Christmas is not a pagan holiday and did not start out that way contrary to modern narratives.

How one chooses, in these days to celebrate, is a different matter but no need to change true history to validate today's choices.

Not just old people - me! Growing up, our tree went up the Sunday before Christmas, which was Christmas eve a couple of times (I remember decorating the tree before going out for Christmas Eve drinks with my friends) . And it comes down on 12th night. I still hate the tree going up early (the week before Christmas is fine) because I want it up until after new year, to make NYE nicer.

I put mine up on Christmas Eve and take it down on 12th Night. I am not elderly. I just like the 12 days of Christmas. We celebrate 12th Night and then Womens' Christmas the next day too. From December 1 we do Advent, with the calendar and carols and so on, and then start Christmas proper on the 24th.

I'm not quite that "elderly", but of course the tree should go up on Christmas Eve.... until then, it's Advent. And, lest we forget, Christmas is a Christian celebration.

Interestingly, church Christmas season actually runs until Candlemas (1st or 2nd February), which is why the late Queen used to leave her decorations up until February.
But, practically, Christmas trees in November or early December are just pointless - they will be bald by 25th!

Who has ‘shown’ it? A midwinter festival considerably predated Christianity in many cultures. I live close to a stone circle with axial stones oriented to sunset on the winter solstice. Archeologists say it was active 1100 to 800 BC. Nothing to do with Jesus.

I didn’t say Christmas was a pagan holiday. I said bringing the green inside and decorating was. Therefore if it’s cold do as you please. You need to read and be less angry.

https://www.theculturist.io/p/is-christmas-really-pagan

Here is one source. There are multiple others from scholars and historians, who are not Christian, so no Christian bias.

I'm not doing everyone's homework for them, though. Believe pop culture, or do some research, internet is free.

That's as far as I'll contribute to this thread! Merry Christmas!

Weird statement - the internet has never made me "angry". If it has this effect on you, walk off and come back when you're more composed. All the best x

We do this, I'm in my 50s and my youngest is 12. The tree goes up after school breaks up. DH would like it down sooner but I prefer the 6th!

Absolutely. When I was young (1970s/80s)tree went up around a week before Christmas, and my mum always said that was too early! It came down 12th night. When mum was little (1950s) it would have gone up Christmas eve. We now put it up around 16 Dec and down 12th night. One Christmas tradition is the annual argument as to which day 12 night actually is, are we including Christmas Day

I am from central Europe and it's norm amongst all I know there (not elderly) to do tree on 23rd eve or 24th morning and take it down on 5th/ 6th. We are not even religious.
I now do mid December in UK because I can. My mother judges me like I judge people who do it in November 😂

I’m 51 and when I was small, our tree went up Christmas Eve, also real, and stayed up until the Ephinany.

As I got older the tree would go up a bit earlier, but never before the 15/16th.

I do the same now but I do start putting up some other decorations on the 1st December.