As we start the new year many of us will be planning a fresh start, and that could include taking down all the Christmas decorations which have been clutttering up the house.
However, some people like to keep their tree and tinsel a little longer, but at what point should the decs come down if you want to avoid 12 months bad luck?
For the superstitious among us there is a certain date in the calendar by which all fairy lights and baubles must be down and safely tucked away according to Belfast Live, and if not removed by then they have to stay up all year.
It is called Twelth Night, and has been a long held tradition thanks to a combination of Christian and pagan rituals.
When is Twelfth Night?
Many people consider Twelfth Night to be 12 days after Christmas Day, which would make it January 6. However, boffins have said it is actually January 5.
January 6 is the Epiphany, the day generally considered to be when the three wise men visited Jesus.
Before the birth of Jesus was celebrated by Christians in the middle of winter all decorations from the pagan celebration of the solstice would be removed the day before the Epiphany was marked by the church.
It is likely this is where the tradition of taking down all decorations by Twelfth Night comes from.
Why is it unlucky?
In the past pagans believed tree-spirits lived in the greenery – such as holly and ivy – which people used to decorate their homes.
While the festive season provided shelter for these spirits during the winter, they needed to be released outside once the celebrations were over.
If this custom wasn’t followed, greenery would not return and vegetation would not grow as a result, causing agricultural problems.
Even though Christmas decorations are now less about foliage and more about baubles and tinsel, many people still adhere to the superstition.
What can you do if you forget and leave some Christmas decorations up?
The obvious answer is just take them down and put them away. However, if you are superstitious you may believe you will have a year of bad luck unless you leave them up all year.
There is a strange - but not unheard of - belief if you burn your left over Christmas decorations in a pile and cook the first pancake of Shrove Tuesday over the flames.
If your pancakes are usually of a questionable quality when cooked over a controlled hob, you may be best making sure you have taken all your decorations down by January 5. But just in case, Shrove Tuesday is on March 1, 2021.
