I love pretty much everything about the holidays. Between seeing loved ones, baking sweet treats, watching Christmas movies, and decorating the house, Christmas always feels like such a special and magical time of year. One of my favorite holiday traditions is putting up the Christmas tree. I love the fresh smell of pine, hanging a nostalgic collection of ornaments, and seeing the lights shine in the evening.
Typically, we leave our Christmas tree up until New Year’s Day. By that point, I’m ready to put away Christmas for the year and have the house looking clean and refreshed. However, many people leave their Christmas trees up until January 6th, decorations and all. As it turns out, this is a longstanding tradition for many people, with its roots in Christian tradition.
According to Christian belief, January 6th is the date the three kings arrived in Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus. And so, this is the day that indicates the official end of Christmas. In Christian tradition, January 6th is commonly referred to as Three Kings Day, The Feast of Epiphany, or The Twelfth Night. According to this tradition, it is actually considered bad luck to take the Christmas tree and decorations down before then.
Whether you believe in this tradition or not, it’s always nice to have a reason to leave the Christmas tree up for just a little bit longer! I know some people who leave their trees up until the first or second week of January. Unlucky or not, I know I will continue to be ready to take the tree down by January 1st. I just love the clean slate that comes from putting the decorations away until next year!
