Today is the traditional time to take all your Christmas decorations down.
You might be one of those people who put it away on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day but if you’re waiting for the end of the 12 days of Christmas, you should do it tonight or tomorrow.
The exact end of the 12 days of Christmas is debatable because it depends whether you count Christmas as the first day.
If you do, the end would fall today but if you start counting the day after Christmas, it falls tomorrow.
The day following the Twelfth Night is Epiphany – the day the Wise Men came to see the baby Jesus – which is again debated.
The Church of England places Twelfth Night as 5 January and Epiphany as 6 January.
Today seems like a good option though, with the first full week after the festive season starting tomorrow and many getting back to the normal routine.
Taking it down after your first day back at work doesn’t sound very appealing.
What are the 12 days of Christmas?
The 12 Days of Christmas mark the events that happened after Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Each day commemorates a different thing:
25 December – Christmas Day
26 December – Boxing Day is also known as St Stephen’s Day, to commemorate the Christian martyr St Stephen.
27 December – A day to celebrate St John the Apostle.
28 December – The Feast of The Holy Innocents to remember the baby boys who were killed by King Herod in his search to find and kill the Baby Jesus.
29 December – Commemorating St Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered on this day in 1170 for challenging the King’s authority over the Church.
30 December – The day of St Egwin of Worcester who died on this day in 717.
31 December – New Year’s Eve is also the day to remember Pope Sylvester I.
1 January – New Year’s Day is also a celebration for Mary, the mother of Jesus.
2 January – The ninth day honours St Basil the Great and St Gregory Nazianzen
3 January – The Feat of the Holy Name of Jesus marks the day Jesus was named in the Jewish Temple.
4 January – The 11th day celebrates St Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the Fest of Saint Simon Stylites, who lived on a small platform for 37 years.
5 January – Epiphany Eve is the 12th day, when Christmas ends.
6 January – Christmas is over with the dawn of Epiphany.
What should you do with your real Christmas tree?
If you want to get rid of your real Christmas tree, there are ways you can recycle it.
Many councils over collections or drop off points for you to dispose of your tree. Check your local council’s website to find out what they do in your area.
Some zoos are also accepting trees to give to the animals to play with.
How to store your Christmas tree decorations
With Christmas over for another year, it’s important to store your decorations so they are still in tip top condition when you pull them out next December.
You can sort all your baubles by colour into bags so it’s easier to decorate the tree evenly next year.
Wrap your lights around scrap pieces of cardboard to stop them tangling and use leftover wrapping paper to protect any delicate decorations.
Egg boxes are a great way to store baubles to stop them from breaking too. You can stack all the boxes in a bigger box to keep them neat and tidy.
Label everything clearly so you can find what you are looking for easily next year.
And if you’re feeling sad about putting them away, don’t worry – there are just 355 days until Christmas Day 2020.
MORE: How to recycle your Christmas tree
MORE: ‘Tis the season to decorate your hair like a Christmas tree
source https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/05/take-christmas-tree-5-january-12004514/
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