Christmas can be a big day for so many families. The countdown starts in December, even earlier for some and then in a blink of an eye, the day is over.
Christmas trees and decorations can brighten up a home and over the pandemic, many people put up their decorations earlier than normal to spread some festive cheer.
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Of course, if you want to keep the lights up through January, it's your house, you make the rules - but there is in fact a 'correct' time to take them down.
If you're superstitious or simply like to keep to tradition, there are set dates in the festive calendar to go by.
When should you take your Christmas tree down?
According to Christian tradition, the twelfth night of Christmas lands on December 6, also known as 'the Epiphany'.
Then the twelfth night (January 5) is considered to be the last day of Christmas.
It is meant to signify the time it took for the Wise Men to travel to Bethlehem.
Wales Online reports that according to superstition it is bad luck to leave your decorations up after the 5th. This belief stems back to the olden days when people used to decorate their homes with ivy and holly.
They used to think tree spirits lived in the greenery and made sure all their festive ornaments and trimmings were taken down in the first week of the New Year to set them free.
And if this wasn't followed, it was said that vegetation and greenery would be cursed for the next twelve months.
Christmas decorations are the same.
How to get rid of a real Christmas tree?
If you have a real Christmas tree, there are a number of ways to get rid of it sustainably.
- You can reach out to local charity to take it
- Find a recycle point for the tree
- Replant it in your garden
- Compost it. But take the decorations off first!
How to get rid of an artificial Christmas tree?
An artificial Christmas tree are made up of a combination of materials and cannot be recycled.
- Store an artificial Christmas tree in the box it came in and keep it in a cool and dry place for next year.
- Donate to a charity shop
- Donate to a theatre or community group
