One huge debate that is often talked about is how long to keep your Christmas decorations up. There are some people who love to put them up early and keep them up for as long as possible, while others don’t like them up too long, and immediately take them down after Christmas. However, here is why it is tradition to leave your Christmas tree up until January 6th.
Leaving Your Christmas Tree Up
Not only do traditions say to leave your tree up until January 6th, but to continue to celebrate Christmas in general until the first week of January.
We all know about the 12 Days of Christmas song, as it is a timeless classic. However, what most people don’t know is that the first day actually starts on Christmas day. Therefore, the celebration goes a few days past Christmas, into January.
Christian tradition teaches that the three wise men actually arrived in Bethlehem on January 6, ending the holiday season. This day is called The Twelfth Night, The Feast of Epiphany, or Three Kings Day. Around the world, some cultures even have a huge celebration as big as Christmas.
While lots of people will take any excuse to keep up their beautiful lights and holly, some traditions even suggest that it is not lucky to take your decorations down before January as well.
Don’t take down your decorations and stop celebrating just quite yet. There are so many amazing traditions you can learn and keep up this happy time a little bit longer. Plus, a good excuse to not take down those beautiful decorations as well.
So, this year learn about all these amazing traditions and pick one to incorporate with your family this New Year. Don’t take down your Christmas tree until January 6 this year with all these amazing traditions!
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15 comments on “Why You Should Leave Your Christmas Tree Up Until January 6”
I’ve always known this but not the history behind it. I love putting up Christmas decorations and always feel sad when they are take down.
What’s Christmas lights and a tree have to do with the 3 wise men?
In my family, we have always taken the tree and all Christmas decorations down prior to the new year. If not, it is bad luck! I guess that is because you will be starting off the new year with a clean house. Anything you do on the first day of the new year, you will be doing all year long. Therefore no house cleaning, laundry etc. So we have family and friends over to eat black eyed peas, collard greens for luck and watch football all day.
I’ve never heard that. Mine goes down the day after Christmas. I have a son born on the 28th of December. I wanted him to feel like his birthday was not part of Christmas. Besides, when it’s over, it’s over and I’m ready for it to be gone. I do like to put it up early and enjoy it a lot
My family tradition is usually until January 7th, “Little Christmas”
ours too!
The Magi (way more than three of them) we are told came to the “house” Jesus was in, not the manger and not in Bethlehem. For Herod had all males two years and under killed after the Magi had told him of the news of a King in Israel. So Jesus was about two years old by the time the Magi arrived.
You are so right. This article says that “Christian tradition” teaches it, but I’ve been in church all my life and know that nowhere in the Bible does it say there were three wise men, only three types of gifts. And yes, it took them way longer than 12 days to arrive.
We put our tree up on Thanksgiving weekend because the whole family is here & don’t take it down until January 8th, when Greek Orthodox Christmas is over
Ours too. Mom always gave us 1 gift on the 7th too.
My family has always put up the tree on the first Sunday after Thanksgiving and taken it down the first Sunday after the new year.
As a child growing up, our tradition was to put the tree up on the 5th of Dec and take down 7th of January, so in my home I c continued my childhood tradition. ❤️
It was my understanding that it took the wise men much longer to reach them, and Jesus wasn’t even born in December. The Christmas tradition started many years later , to entice people into church and away from the winter solstice traditions
I’m ok with leaving the tree up till Jan 6th, but you didn’t say which year…..
Lol I am the same way I want to keep it up it is so beautiful ❤️