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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

when to take the tree down

Yesterday I was laying in bed thinking it was time to take the tree down. Then I decided I would wait til today. Today is not looking good for it either.

I suppose if I had a real one and needles were falling off I would have taken it down before this.

There is the old superstition that you should take it down before New Years because you will be bringing part of the old year into the new year with you and that is bad luck. Well, I am not very superstitious so it will be staying up.

The Christmas carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, is actually based on the belief that Christmas is celebrated for twelve nights beginning on December 25th. This is why there are people who strongly believe that you should keep your Christmas tree up until January 5th which would mark the twelfth day of Christmas.

The religious answer to the question of when to take down a Christmas tree is usually that it should be taken down on the Epiphany which is January 6th. This day is also known as Three Kings day. This day is meant to celebrate the fact that God had taken a human form…Jesus.

The Irish call this day “Little Christmas”. It has long since been a tradition for the Irish to keep their tree up until Little Christmas Day when it is taken down.

How about just taking it down when you feel like it? Sounds like the best plan I have heard so far.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Garnet,
    I usually take my tree down when I feel like it. Some years it's been a week after New Years and other years,it's been the day after Christmas! I do think it's best to do it when you're in the mood so that more care is taken when packing the ornaments away. I didn't put up a tree this year. I just couldn't do it. Love Di

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  2. I usually leave mine up till at least New Year's Day...and then take it down when it's convenient to do so. The kids and g/kids come here for New'Year's Eve and that's mostly why I keep it up! I'm not supertitious about it...just like the look!

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  3. I agree with Di, you should take your tree down when you are ready for it....my mother always thought it was bad luck to take it down before New Year's but I am not into that way of thinking....it is nice to get back to a normal routine after so many days of visiting and visitors.....you will know when it feels right.....:-) Hugs

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  4. I like to have the tree for as long as possible - never mind the needles. They are a small price to pay for the joy of the lights and the glitter adding a warm glow to the room - plus the smell of pine, of course - that's the best bit of all!

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  5. I think there are many traditions and superstitions that people could quite easily get confused! I've always gone with the 6th January, mainly because of superstition, but also because I love the decorations. It's very interesting though, to hear other people's take on this.

    Best wishes, CJ xx

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  6. Ours stays up until sometime after NY. We have some decorations such as the village that will stay up for much more of the winter. They're part of Christmas but also just part of winter.

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  7. The Christmas tree wasn't Christian at all but was absorbed from whatever it was the Germans did before - Yuletide I guess. So when it goes up or down is really quite meaningless in my eyes. I generally take it down New Year's Day. Why? because it's a quiet day with nothing else going on. Also my mother always took it down that day but I don't know her reasons. End of the "holidays" I suppose. Kids went back to school the next day if it wasn't the weekend.

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