When Should You Put Up Your Christmas Tree And Decorations?

When should you put up your Christmas tree and decorations?

It can depend on whether you're following tradition, or the type of tree you have

CommentsNewsEllie Kemp12:59, 24 Nov 2021Updated 12:59, 24 Nov 2021

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The temperature is dropping and winter is almost here, which means it's not long to go until Christmas.

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After a tough two years due to the pandemic, some have got into the festive spirit early and have already put up their Christmas decorations.

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However others prefer to wait until December, or to follow traditions. So, when is it officially acceptable to put your Christmas tree and decorations up?

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Why you should wait until December

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Traditionally, the Christmas tree should be put up at the beginning of Advent, which is four Sundays before Christmas.

Read more: Teenager says she 'could have died' after falling asleep drunk with tampon in

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This year, the first day of Advent is Sunday 28 November 2021, which is a bit earlier than usual.

That makes it acceptable to put your decorations up before December - according to the main tradition.

Other traditions say you should start decking your halls 12 days before Christmas.

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But in Roman Catholic tradition, the tree isn't put up until the afternoon of Christmas eve.

It can also depend on the type of tree you have.

Some people prefer artificial trees, while others love to buy a real tree every year.

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Gardening expert Samantha Jones, from MyJobQuote, says waiting until December to put up your 'real' Christmas tree will ensure it's fresher for longer.

She told the Daily Record : "After Bonfire night, your first instinct might be to get into the Christmas spirit and purchase a tree.

"However, the earlier you get a real Christmas tree, the more effort is required to keep it looking fresh in time for the 25th of December.

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"Generally, you should aim to buy your Christmas tree a week into December, so it doesn’t dry out throughout the festive season.

"For low drop trees like Nordman firs, you can purchase them up to four weeks before Christmas, but for European spruce trees, get them mid-December as they tend to dry up faster."

When to take decorations down

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Most people take down their decorations on the Twelfth Night, which is the twelfth day after Christmas.

It signals the end of the festive season and it's believed by many to be back luck to keep decorations up after this date.

The Twelfth Night this year is Thursday 6 January 2021.

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However, Catholics traditionally wait until 7 January to take their trees down, as that is the day after Epiphany.

The Epiphany is a feast day which celebrates the revelation of God incarnating as Jesus Christ.

Some Christians might not take their decorations down until as late as February.

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That's because their Christmas celebrations continue to Candlemas - a Christian Holy Day commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple - which takes place on 2 February.

Some wait until after Candlemas to remove their Christmas tree and decorations, while others take them down on the Twelfth Night.

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