The holidays have come and gone, but decorations have a way of hanging around for days or even a few weeks into the new year.
It could be out of tradition or procrastination, but you may be looking at your lights, trees and other decorations and wondering when the best time to take them down might be.
If you observe the 12 nights of Christmas, Jan. 5 or 6 are the last nights, so you may be right on the edge before superstition says you might be inviting some bad luck. How these days are observed vary by beliefs.
“Traditionally, the 12th night marks the end of the Christmas season. So leaving Christmas decorations up too long after the 12th night is said to bring bad luck, but of course, that’s according to folklore,” associate lifestyle Good Housekeeping editor Alyssa Gautieri told Morning Edition.
Here are a couple of other things to consider:
Dying Christmas trees pose a fire threat
Gautieri points out that if you see your tree’s needles starting to turn brown or falling off and branches sagging or breaking, it’s a sign that your tree is dying and should probably be taken down because it’s a fire risk.
The National Fire Protection Association says more than a third of U.S. home fires involving Christmas trees happen in January.
“As much as we all enjoy the look and feel of Christmas trees in our homes, they’re large combustible items that have the potential to result in serious fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA, in a press release. “The longer Christmas trees remain in homes, the longer they present a risk.”
The NFPA recommends looking into your area’s tree recycling program and advises against leaving trees in the garage or outside the home.
Of course, your traditions are yours to celebrate as you please
Professional organizer Liora Seltzer celebrates Hanukkah in her home and decorates as such for the Jewish tradition, like hanging a “Happy Hanukkah” banner and displaying menorahs by the windows.
Seltzer, who was trained by Marie Kondo’s company, follows the method of tapping into what sparks joy for the individual. She applies the same method to holiday decorations. She said she keeps up a small sign year-round that reads “Shine the light.”
Seltzer says when it comes to your holiday decorations, there’s no right or wrong.
“The decorations should really be special and bring you joy. And if you don’t feel that joy anymore, that probably means it’s time to take them down,” Seltzer said. “But if you feel that joy into January, go for it. Keep around things that, really, you love looking at, that really make you happy when you enter a room.”
Suzanne Nuyen edited this article. The radio version of this story was produced and written by Lindsay Totty and edited by Adam Bearne.
Transcript:
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
It can be hard to let go of the holiday season. Some of us have taken down our decorations by now, but not everyone.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
So when is the right time to put those ornaments back in the box? For some, it’s the final night of the 12 days of Christmas. That would be January 5 or 6, depending on when you celebrate. So says Alyssa Gautieri. She’s an editor with Good Housekeeping magazine.
ALYSSA GAUTIERI: Traditionally, the 12th night marks the end of the Christmas season, so leaving Christmas decorations up too long after the 12th night is said to bring bad luck. But, of course, that’s according to folklore.
MARTÍNEZ: When it comes to Christmas trees, though, it’s important to think about fire safety. The National Fire Protection Association says more than a third of Christmas tree fires happen in January. Gautieri points out that dying trees pose a greater fire risk.
GAUTIERI: If your needles are starting to turn brown or falling off, if branches are sagging or breaking – those are clear signs that your tree is drying out and it needs to be taken down.
MARTÍNEZ: So remember, when the tree is turning brown, it’s time to take it down.
MARTIN: But other kinds of decorations are fine to keep up. Liora Seltzer is a professional organizer who helps families declutter their homes. She celebrates Hanukkah and likes having some remnants of the holiday stick around.
LIORA SELTZER: I have one little sign that says shine the light, and I do keep that year-round. And we have a couple of menorahs out because they’re beautiful. So I’m not tempted to leave everything up, but I do like to have those little reminders of that special time.
MARTÍNEZ: Seltzer says when it comes to your holiday decorations, there’s no right or wrong.
SELTZER: The decorations should really be special and bring you joy. And if you don’t feel that joy anymore, that probably means it’s time to take them down. But if you feel that joy into January, go for it. Keep around things that really you love looking at, that really make you happy when you enter a room.
