Exact date to take down Christmas tree as tradition says 'evil spirits' could remain

02.01.2023 - 16:57 / dailyrecord.co.uk

With Christmas and New Year celebrations now over, it's time to start the year afresh and get your home ready for 2023.

This sadly means packing away the Christmas decorations for another year. It's down to personal preference when you want to do this, as it varies from house to house.

But according to tradition, leaving your tree up for too long after the festive period could bring you bad luck. It's based on a Christian tradition dating all the way back to the 4th century called Twelfth Night, and we've explored the history behind this event and why you might want to take your decorations down before it.

You're probably already familiar with the 12 Days of Christmas, which supposedly marks the time period between the birth of Jesus and the Three Wise Men.

It begins on December 25 and ends on January 6 - and this date is also known as the Epiphany.

However, the 12th night after Christmas falls on January 5 this year. It differs from year to year, depending on whether you count the 25th or not. This Twelfth Night is historically the time of year that your decorations should be taken down.

It's believed that until the 1800s, the 12-day period after Christmas featured several other holidays and celebrations until they were thought to be taken off the calendar by Queen Victoria.

After the Twelfth Night, the Victorians expected people to halt the celebrations and get back to work. This could be why it's now deemed as unlucky to keep the decorations up beyond this point.

Another theory as to why your tree could bring bad luck beyond Twelfth Night is because of superstitions surrounding the trees themselves.

According to History.com, people used to believe that evergreens would ward away any evil spirits, witches, ghosts or bad luck