What Date Should Christmas Decorations Be Taken Down
Although 2020 was a year like no other, the period between Christmas and New Year brought with it some familiar dilemmas.
One of these, of course, is what to do with all of that leftover turkey (particularly if you'd already ordered a bird before large gatherings were banned).
However, there's also the spiny issue of when it's finally time to kiss that lovingly-decorated Christmas tree goodbye.
It's a free country, obviously – although your real fir might start to look a little sad as the days wear on – but for many people Twelfth Night will always mark the time to pack away your tree and decorations.
When is Twelfth Night?
Different Christian traditions define the date of Twelfth Night as either the 5 or 6 of January, depending in part on how the 12 days of Christmas are calculated.
For many, Christmas Day marks the "first day", which would give Twelfth Night its earlier date, while others believe the 12 days of Christmas begin on Boxing Day.
Matters are further confused by the consideration of whether Twelfth Night concludes the 12th day after Christmas itself, or falls the evening before.
As Professor Nick Groom, of the English department of the University of Exeter, previously told i: "Twelfth Night is Twelfth Day's Eve – we still talk about Christmas Eve as being Christmas Night."
The observance is also widely considered to mark the coming of the Epiphany, a Christian feast day falling on 6 January which means different things depending on which church you follow.
It originated in the East where Christians celebrate the birth and baptism of Jesus. The Western Church began following it in the 4th century as the day the wise men were led by the star to visit baby Jesus, according to the story of the Nativity.
Why do people take their Christmas decorations down then?
According to tradition, Christmas trees and decorations should be taken down on either Twelfth Night or Epiphany to avoid bad luck after the season of merriment.
The belief has developed in modern times, with Professor Groom explaining: "It was basically the Victorians who decided that Christmas decorations should be taken down after 12 days because they wanted to get everybody to work.
"They fixed it as the season of Christmas in the 19th century."
Indeed, before this unfortunate abridging of the festive season, the Tudors continued celebrating until 1 February.
This date marked the eve of Candlemas, a Christian festival marking the day the infant Jesus was presented to the God in the Temple at Jerusalem.
Roman Catholics may still choose to keep their tree in full festive working order until 2 February, according to the Candlemas traditions.
Why do we have Christmas tree in the UK?
Many believe the tradition of Christmas trees in Britain started during Queen Victoria's reign, between 1837 and 1901, although the first tree in the UK might have been erected by Queen Charlotte, the German wife of King George III in the the 1790s.
The trend caught on after Prince Albert brought a spruce-fir from Germany for his wife Queen Victoria in the 1840s and the royal couple made it fashionable to decorate it.
"Trees were originally a German tradition," Hannah Fleming, curator at the Geffrye Museum toldGoodHousekeeping. "Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were responsible for popularising it."
What are the lyrics to The 12 Days of Christmas?
For many, the idea of the 12 Days of Christmas conjures up thoughts of the interminable festive song, which unfolds as follows:
On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree
On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree
From then on, one more item is added each time, until the final verse becomes:
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
12 drummers drumming,
11 pipers piping,
10 lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four colly birds,
Three French hens,
And a partridge in a pear tree
What Date Should Christmas Decorations Be Taken Down
Source: https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/christmas/christmas-tree-decorations-when-should-take-down-twelfth-night-date-epiphany-traditions-explained-810903
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