Here's When to Take Down Your Christmas Tree, According to Tradition
Dismantling your Christmas tree may not be the cheeriest chore, but this tradition adds a bit of structure to the post-holiday cleanup
Dismantling your Christmas tree may not be the cheeriest chore, but this tradition adds a bit of structure to the post-holiday cleanup:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/holiday-fires-120822-8-4708457bd365441ba845af08261dcfee.jpg "Decorated Christmas tree with wrapped presents beneath it, next to a fireplace")
While some people take down their Christmas trees the moment the calendar flips past Dec. 25, others wait until the New Year (and sometimes much longer, even into the summer).
If you've got a live tree, the National Fire Protection Association warns against keeping it indoors for more than a month, as drying needles pose a serious fire hazard. Meanwhile, artificial trees come with no such restrictions, leaving the timing of their takedown up to you.
But is there a correct time to get rid of your holiday centerpiece? According to one tradition, yes.
Whether a stickler for rules, a superstitious soul or simply curious about age-old practices, read on to learn the official day you should be saying farewell to your festive fir.
Related: The Best Time to Buy a Real Christmas Tree and How to Make It Last Longer, According to an Expert
When does Christmas officially end?
Franco Origlia/Getty Pope Francis kisses the crib as he attends a mass to commemorate the Feast of the Epiphany at St. Peter's Basilica on Jan. 6, 2014, in Vatican City
Although Dec. 25 is the day countless families worldwide celebrate Christmas, Christian tradition dictates that the winter holiday actually lasts until Epiphany, which many celebrate on Jan. 6 — 12 days after Christmas Day.
The religious holiday, sometimes referred to as "Three Kings Day," celebrates the day the three wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. The day also serves as the start of the church's "season of Epiphany," which ends before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.
As Good Housekeeping points out, since the 4th century, many Christians have looked upon the Twelfth Night — also referred to as the Eve of the Epiphany — as the formal end of the Christmas season.
When should you take down your Christmas tree?
Getty Images A Christmas tree is disposed in Brandenburg, Germany
As Twelfth Night marks the official end of the holiday season, it's tradition for those celebrating to put away seasonal decorations, including nativity scenes and Christmas trees. (The day also involves other customs such as indulging in king cake, chalking the names of the three magi on your door and candle-lit worship sessions.)
Some even believe that if you wait too long after the Christmas season ends to dispose of your evergreen could bring you bad luck.
That said, some traditional Catholic households keep their Christmas trees up until Feb. 2 — 40 days after Christmas — to honor the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, marking the day that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus into the Temple.
Just to be on the safe side, it might be a good idea to set a reminder for Jan. 6 to take down your Christmas tree.
