As the festive season draws to a close, Britons are once again divided over the appropriate time to take down their Christmas decorations. While some adhere to traditional superstitions, others prefer to keep the lights twinkling well into the new year.
According to superstition, decorations should be removed by the 12th night after Christmas, which falls on either January 5 or 6, depending on whether counting begins on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Leaving them up beyond this date is said to bring bad luck. However, English Heritage notes that medieval tradition extended the Christmas season until Candlemas on February 2, with decorations left up until then.
Dr Michael Carter, senior properties historian at English Heritage, explains: 'Contrary to popular belief, the Christmas season actually continues right through to Candlemas on February 2 - so there's no real reason why you should take your decorations down earlier. The tradition that it is bad luck to keep decorations up after Twelfth Night and the Epiphany is a modern invention, although it may derive from the medieval notion that decorations left up after Candlemas eve would become possessed by goblins!'
On Reddit, users shared their own practices. One user wrote: 'Saturday 3rd. I was always brought up to bring it down on the 5th, but after two days back in the office, I can't be bothered with that on Tuesday night. However, not having your decorations up on New Years is weird.' Another commented: 'It came down on 27th, I hate going into a New Year with last years' chaos.'
Others prefer to keep decorations up longer. One user said: 'I keep my tree up until Lunar New Year because there are literally no laws about having cheerful twinkly lights in your home during the coldest, darkest months of the year.' Another added: 'I will be leaving mine up until sometime in early Feb. I like the cheery lights. January is dark and cold, why do we make it more miserable?'
Ultimately, the decision remains a personal one, with no official rule governing when decorations must come down. As one Reddit user succinctly put it: 'Never, saves putting it up again next year.'
