Please could someone tell me when the decorations should be taken down?

Here in Scotland we celebrate Hogmanay so always keep the decorations for that. I'll take ours down on Jan 6th as usual.
I only put the tree up on the Sunday before Christmas. It's a real one so I don't want to drag needles through the house.

I too usually take my decorations down on the 6th January, but as the local scouts collect Christmas trees for the moderate sum of £2, 50 on the Saturday nearest that date, if I want them to take our tree it will need to come down on the 4th this year.

Here a lot of people take down their decorations before New Year, which was also customary in Scotland when I was a child,

Maw Broon: my wise men have hurried up and are approaching the crib today. The shepherds have gone back to their sheep and the sheep dog is herding the flock so they are ready to move off next week. I too feel sorry for them arriving just in time to be packed away. My former parish church left the crib in place until Candlemass, which gave the kings nice time for their devotions.

Always take ours down on the Epiphany the 6th January, glad to see the back of them then.

I’m afraid I was so angry with the OH over something, I took mine down the day after Boxing Day this time!

I grew up in a family that observed that tradition and old habits die hard

Same here MaizieD. My Mum would always wait until 6th January to take down the decorations so I do too. She observed 12th night tradition. We are having relatives to stay after new year, and given the house took so long to decorate (because I go a bit OTT) they can jolly well benefit from my efforts!!! However, I do agree, once Christmas has come and gone, the decorations feel wrong.

I decorate the house on the second week of December so I get full benefit of the prettiness/greenery everywhere. It's a long lasting festive season in our house.

I will be so glad when all the Christmassy food stuffs have gone. I have no intention of eating them and didn't go overboard with my shopping but we have had guests bearing gifts - food gifts - unfortunately. Dilemma! (The family will probably polish them off for me. I hate waste.)

There were hot cross buns in one of the big four supermarkets this morning!
Back to Xmas decorations - down 6th Jan here.

I usually take them down 2nd January as I think the festivities are all over by then.

I have always taken them down by the 12th night which I take to be the 5th January if Christmas Day is the First Night. I don't believe in bad luck, I just want to get rid of the Christmas tree needles!

Happy Birthday downtoearth ?.
I take mine down when I have the energy to get the boxes back out of the cupboard and put them back in again....
It usually means rearranging everything AGAIN. I dislike that cupboard intensely ?

Twelfth night=====6th of January----then the cleaning begins. Place will look bare !

We took our cards down this morning and the house already looks fresher and less cluttered. We've been away for a few days and still have some things to put away but it is much better.

I took mine down this morning. Now they are all packed away for the next time.

We've always taken them down by Twelfth Night (Epiphany), Jan 6th. To leave them longer is supposed to be bad luck! Having taken so long to put up my (too) many decorations, I like to look at them for as long as possible. I always think the house looks dull afterwards especially as January is such a dreary month weatherwise.

They come down BY 12th night, 6th January which means they can come down at anytime before that. Of course we all put them up when we like and take them down when we like. I love them, but I’m a bit fed up with them now. I think mine will come down when DGD goes home on Sunday.

Up Xmas Eve, down Boxing Day - No need to wear them out.

Blinko As the bishop said to the actress.

Decos traditionally come down on Epiphany 12 days after Christmas Day the 6th January
But don’t most of us take them down the minute the thought comes into our mind...
mine are coming down this afternoon... bored with a cluttered look!!

There are two schools of thought 1. Epiphany, or 6th January/twelfth night, 2. Candlemas.
I have to say waiting until then would fill me with dread....

MaiseD If you were a person who believed 'bad luck' will follow should you take decorations down before the 6th of January then you would be inclined to leave them up until then. I was led to believe this date for removal of festive decorations originated from a 'pagan' belief which Christianity had no part of.

Always New Year’s Day for me for exactly the reasons inishowen says.

I found this link www.whenis.co.uk/twelfth-night but take them down when you feel the need to I suppose.

For me it's New Years Day. A fresh start to the new year. Really it's whenever you like.

Here in Germany you don't put the tree and Christmas decorations up till Christmas eve, as Advent decorations are up all December. Then they stay up till 6 Jan. It used to be Candlemas (2 Feb) .I think that was changed probably at the time of the 2nd Vatican Council. (1962) That applies only to the Catholic community of course, which we are pretty much steeped in where I live.

Of course the Vatican Council didn't decide on Christmas trees, it just rearranged the Church year a little, decreeing that the Christmas cycle finished at Epiphany rather than Candlemas. I am happy to be corrected or pointed to the Anglican version of this, as I am only citing from vague memories.

My daughter was born on January 10th. We always left the decorations up until 11th, as she liked them so much. I think she started complaining about them when she was about 10. Now 40 years later she takes hers down on January 5th and I take mine down on January 6th.
It all depends on how you count the 12 days.
Have a great weekend!

Like most people, I used to think that 12th night was the same as Epiphany (6 Jan) and that it was unlucky to take them down before or have them up after. But DH was able to prove to me that it should be 5 January.