When To Remove The Christmas Decorations?

Since the Victorian era, there has been an agreed tradition that the Christmas tree should be demolished on the twelfth night (on the eve of Epiphany), and it should not exceed Epiphany at the latest, otherwise, it will be unlucky.

However, many people don't know when the twelfth night and Epiphany are, and why they have to deal with the Christmas tree on this day.

Don't worry, it's science time!

The specific time of the twelfth night and Epiphany

The twelfth night is the night of January 5th, and Epiphany is January 6th.

Generally speaking, we can choose to tear down the Christmas tree on any of the two days (because it is difficult to define, Christmas in the traditional sense starts from December 25th and lasts for 12 days. If so, the end date is January 6th). It is considered unlucky to be one day later or one day earlier.

According to tradition, if you don't remove Christmas decorations on the twelfth night, you have to keep them for a whole year.

The advent of Epiphany marks the end of Christmas. It is said that at this time of year, the "three kings" will come to see you with gifts under the guidance of a star, which has now turned into a Christmas lantern decorated at home.

Why is it unlucky to remove the Christmas tree earlier or later?

It is said that long ago, people thought that tree spirits lived in green plants, such as holly and ivy. Therefore, every Christmas, everyone will find a tree to decorate their house and by the way, invite Shuling to be a guest at home. But after Christmas, they must be put back into the forest on time. Otherwise, the earth will no longer spring, the vegetation will no longer grow, and the people will have to run out of food.

Will all countries follow this tradition?

Because people are not sure which day on January 5th and January 6th is the real twelfth night, people in different regions generally have different dates for removing the Christmas tree.

In addition, the specific day depends on the time when people celebrate Christmas. For example, in Russia, Christmas is not December 25th, but January 7th. Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic will follow the tradition of January 6th.

Parents often tell their children that if you remove the decorations on the eve of Epiphany, the wise old man may get lost, because the Christmas lights represent the Star of Bethlehem and will guide them to Jesus.

When the day comes, what should you do with your Christmas trees?

Throw it away? Not very environmentally friendly!

Give it away? It seems that few people will want it!

A better option is to give it to local authorities, or gardening centers, or community groups for recycling.

As for how to store other decorations, we suggest that you put them in waterproof plastic boxes to avoid moisture and insect bites. Before storage, it is best to wrap the fragile ornaments with paper towels and wrap the coils to avoid a mess the next time you open them.