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31st Dec 2021

According to tradition, your Christmas tree should stay put until after THIS date

Trine Jensen-Burke

Are you still basking in the twinkling lights from your Christmas tree?

Good. That means you are doing things right.

I know plenty of people feel more than ready to get their tree out when Christmas Day has come and gone. But did you know, you are actually meant to leave your tree up a bit longer than that?

Yup, that’s right. Much as we all start embracing the season far earlier in December – some even in November (especially this year) if you are going to do things right, Christmas doesn’t actually start until Christmas Day, meaning when you count forward, you will find that the 12th of Christmas is indeed January 6th.

You’re probably familiar with the song about the 12 Days of Christmas, but according to Martha Stewart, not all of us know that the 12 days don’t actually start until Christmas Day, meaning there are almost two full weeks of celebrating to do after Santa arrives.

And there are more reasons to leave your tree and tinsel up a bit longer. According to Christian tradition, January 6 also marks the day the three kings actually arrived in Bethlehem and signals the end of the Christmas celebrations.

In some countries, this day, which is also known as The Feast of Epiphany, The Twelfth Night, or Three Kings Day, is an even bigger celebration than Christmas Day, and really, do you need any more excuses to extend the hygge-fest that is Christmas for a bit longer?! I know I sure don’t.

Oh – and if you need even more convincing, tradition says it’s actually unlucky to take your tree down before this date.

Let us know – is your tree still up or have you taken it down already?