When should you put away Christmas decorations?

The holiday season, apart from stressing your nerves, your wallet, and your stomach, can also strain your brain due to all the decisions you have to make. What to give that family member you don’t even like? What to prepare for Christmas dinner? Should you eat that last piece of fruit cake?

Alas, there is still one big question to answer even after Christmas Day has come and gone; and that is, when should you put away your Christmas decorations?

This seemingly innocuous question is not as simple as it seems. That is, if you want to follow certain traditions or even avoid bad luck!

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When should you put away Christmas decorations?

Here are some possible dates that you could consider when deciding when to take down the tree, the trimmings, and the tinsel.

New Year’s Eve

If you’re tired of all the holiday partying and decide to stay in for New Year’s Eve, it would be a good time to put away your Christmas stockings, lights, and tree. There are several advantages to this: you save energy and start the new year with an uncluttered household.

You’ll even avoid the bad luck that superstitions indicate you will suffer if you don’t get rid of your Christmas tree before 2024 starts, as this means you will be bringing your baggage from the old year along with you to the new one.

January 5 or 6

For traditionalists out there, this is the target date for you. In some cultures, there is a practice of keeping decorations up until the Twelfth Night, which is twelve days after or beginning on (there’s a small debate about this) Christmas Day. The Twelfth Night falls on the evening of January 5th or 6th, and the decorations are taken down on the celebration known as the Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day. However, some superstitions put forth that having Christmas decor way too long after the Epiphany can also bring bad luck.

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When your Christmas tree starts to look a little sad

If you have a real tree in your house and it starts to shed needles or dry up, it may be time to throw it away. Not only will you have a hard time keeping your floor tidy if you keep it any longer, it can also be a fire hazard. According to the National Fire Research Laboratory, firefighters respond to more than 200 fires due to Christmas trees every year.

As long after Christmas as you want

If you don’t really care that much about traditions, superstitions, your electric bill, or your carbon footprint, then keep your Christmas decorations up for as long as you want! For some avid fans of the Yuletide season, having the tree and lights at home helps keep away the blues that January sometimes brings on, following the holiday high.

Others who spent a small fortune on their holiday decor might feel that they want to get their money’s worth by having them around longer than the average household does.

If you can relate to any of the above, then feel free to keep the festive Christmas spirit all around your house all-year long.