In the West, Christians began celebrating Epiphany in the 4th century and up until the 19th century, it was more important than Christmas Day. In these more modern times, though, most of us stick to Twelfth Night as the correct date. "Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas Hall" February 2, in fact, actually used to be the date when Christians took their decorations down, as noted in this poem by Robert Herrick (1591-1674): Whatever date you choose, it is worth noting that the 'rules' have changed over history. Other people say the best remedy is to leave them up until Twelfth Night the following year. In ancient times, people believed that tree-spirits lived in the holly and ivy. After the festive season, they would be released outside but if they were let go before Christmas ended, there could be problems with the harvest as a result.Īccording to one superstition, Christmas decorations not taken down by Twelfth Night should be left up until Candlemas Day (February 2) and then taken down. Some people think it's also wrong to take them down too early, too. Most people think that it's bad luck to leave your decorations up after January 5. What if you forget to take down your Christmas decorations? Although in the UK, Wednesday 5 January 2022 is the date most people will stick to. Many other Christian groups count the 12 days of Christmas as starting the day after Christmas Day – making January 6 the Twelfth Night. Countries which also follow the January 6 tradition include Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. The day of Epiphany – when the three wise men came – is the day after, on January 6. According to the Church of England, this day is Twelfth Night. A count of exactly 12 days from 25 December arrives at January 5. Twelfth Night is a festival in some branches of Christianity which marks the beginning of Epiphany. In Britain, tradition has it that Christmas decorations stay up until Twelfth Night. When should you take your Christmas decorations down? One thing's for sure - everyone does it differently, and everyone has their own ideas. ![]() Is January 5 or 6 the best day to tackle the task? And what happens if you leave them up for longer? Are you really struck down with bad luck for the rest of the year as superstition would have you believe? The surplus of food will be used to make meals until it comes to its natural end, but when to take down your Christmas tree and decorations continues to be an ongoing debate. While New Year's Day marks the end of the Christmas period, remnants of the holiday festivities still remain. In Britain, tradition has it that Christmas decorations stay up until Twelfth Night - but this is where the confusion lies Epiphany 2022: when to take your Christmas tree down, and other Twelfth Night traditions
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