When to take down Christmas decorations: Twelfth Night and the rules
Tradition says Twelfth Night, but which night is that, and does the bad luck story hold up? The dates for January 2027, where each one comes from and how long a real tree lasts.
By tradition, Christmas decorations come down on Twelfth Night, the evening of 5 January, or during 6 January if you count the twelve days differently. After Christmas 2026 that means Tuesday 5 or Wednesday 6 January 2027. There is an older rule too: English Heritage notes that Candlemas, on 2 February, was the official end of Christmas in medieval England, and it calls the idea that a late take-down brings bad luck a modern invention. Below are the dates, where each one comes from and the practical limit a real tree sets.
When do Christmas decorations come down? The dates at a glance
Five dates have a tradition behind them. The dates are fixed; only the weekday changes from year to year.
| Date | What it is | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year’s Day | Friday | Saturday | Monday |
| 5 January | Twelfth Night, the eve of Epiphany | Tuesday | Wednesday | Friday |
| 6 January | Epiphany | Wednesday | Thursday | Saturday |
| 7 January | Orthodox Christmas Day | Thursday | Friday | Sunday |
| 2 February | Candlemas | Tuesday | Wednesday | Friday |
- New Year’s Day is a church feast, the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus, but its appeal here is practical: it suits anyone who wants the house back for the new year.
- 5 January follows the Church of England count, which starts on Christmas Day.
- 6 January suits traditions that start counting on 26 December, and anyone who packs up the morning after Twelfth Night.
- 7 January is Christmas Day for Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar, so households that celebrate it then may keep their decorations up until at least that day.
- 2 February was the end of the Christmas season in medieval England, and English Heritage suggested it again in 2021.
Twelfth Night: is it 5 or 6 January?
It depends where you start counting. The Church of England treats Christmas Day as the first day of Christmas, so the twelve days run from 25 December to 5 January and Twelfth Night is the evening of 5 January, the eve of Epiphany. Other traditions start counting on 26 December, which moves the twelfth day to 6 January and Twelfth Night to the evening of Epiphany itself.
- Day 1: Friday 25 December 2026
- Day 7: Thursday 31 December 2026
- Day 8: Friday 1 January 2027
- Day 12: Tuesday 5 January 2027, Twelfth Night in the evening
In practice the two counts agree on the finish line. As Countryfile puts the custom, Twelfth Night is usually celebrated on the night of 5 January, so decorations need to be packed away by 6 January.
Is 6 January the last day of Christmas?
Not in the Church of England’s count, where the twelfth day is 5 January. 6 January is Epiphany, the feast of the Magi’s visit to the infant Jesus. The church calendar then runs an Epiphany season up to Candlemas, and English Heritage notes that many churches still leave their Christmas cribs in place until 2 February.
Is it bad luck to leave Christmas decorations up?
The superstition says yes: decorations left up after Twelfth Night bring bad luck on the household, and some versions add that taking them down before Twelfth Night is just as unlucky. English Heritage says the Twelfth Night rule is a modern invention.
Where the belief comes from
The older rule was about greenery and Candlemas. In the 17th century, Robert Herrick’s poem “Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve” told households to clear out the rosemary, bays, mistletoe, holly and ivy, warning that for the leaves left behind, “So many goblins you shall see”. English Heritage suggests today’s superstition may descend from that medieval idea of goblins moving into decorations left up after Candlemas Eve.
If you miss Twelfth Night, folklore gives you a second date: Candlemas, which is also the date English Heritage suggests.
What date is bad luck to take the tree down?
In the popular version, any day after Twelfth Night, so from 6 or 7 January depending on your count. In the older Candlemas version, any day after 1 February, Candlemas Eve. Both are folklore, so for most homes the real deadline is practical: a real tree dropping its needles.
When to take down a real Christmas tree
A real tree sets its own deadline, while an artificial one from the Christmas trees range can stay up as long as you like. The RHS reckons a cut tree lasts about four weeks with care: a stand with a water well, checked and topped up daily, and a spot away from radiators and fires. Counting four weeks from the day it goes up gives a rough take-down date:
| Tree up on | Four weeks later |
|---|---|
| Sunday 29 November 2026 (Advent Sunday) | Sunday 27 December 2026 |
| Tuesday 1 December 2026 | Tuesday 29 December 2026 |
| Saturday 5 December 2026 | Saturday 2 January 2027 |
| Saturday 12 December 2026 | Saturday 9 January 2027 |
| Saturday 19 December 2026 | Saturday 16 January 2027 |
On that estimate, a tree that goes up on Advent Sunday has used its four weeks by 27 December, while one bought in mid-December still has time in hand on Twelfth Night. A tree that sheds a shower of needles when you brush a branch is ready to go, whatever the date.
Potted trees: 12 days indoors
A living tree in a pot is stricter. The RHS advises bringing it in as late as possible, ideally the weekend before Christmas, and keeping it indoors for no longer than 12 days. Brought in on Saturday 19 December 2026, it should be back outside by Thursday 31 December, before Twelfth Night.
Getting rid of a real tree
- Strip off every bauble, hook, strand of tinsel and light first.
- Check your council’s January collection or drop-off scheme: the RHS points to local schemes that turn trees into mulch.
- If your council takes garden waste, cut the tree into lengths that fit the bin.
- Replant a container-grown tree in the garden, or keep it in its pot and move it up a pot size each year.
An artificial tree avoids all of this, and it is now the norm: in YouGov’s November 2025 Christmas survey, 76% of Britons who put up decorations had an artificial tree and 18% a real one. If needles on the carpet in January are the problem, compare artificial Christmas trees by height and type.
How to take down Christmas decorations without breakages
Work from the most fragile items to the toughest, and from the top of the tree down.
- Switch off and unplug every set of lights.
- Take off the topper and the glass baubles first, so nothing falls on them while you work.
- Remove tinsel and garlands, then the lights, winding each set round a piece of card and noting any broken bulbs or damaged cable.
- Wrap glass baubles one by one in tissue, or sit them in egg boxes or divided boxes.
- Take an artificial tree apart section by section and fold the branches in before bagging it. For a real tree, lay an old sheet underneath before you lift it out of the stand.
- Bring in the door wreath and any outdoor lights on the same day.
Our guide to storing Christmas decorations covers boxes, bags and keeping lights untangled until next year. Test each set of Christmas lights before it goes in the loft, and note anything that broke so you know what to replace from the tree decorations range next autumn.
When should you put your Christmas tree up and take it down in the UK?
YouGov’s November 2025 survey points to a season from early December to early January. Only 14% of Britons thought it acceptable to put decorations up at home before the first week of December, and 56% of those who decorate take them down between New Year’s Day and Twelfth Night. The traditional earliest start is Advent Sunday, 29 November in 2026; our guide on when to put up a Christmas tree covers the start of the season.
Shops and offices
The public is less patient with workplaces. In a 2018 YouGov poll, 77% of Britons said shops and 79% said offices should take their decorations down within a week of Christmas Day, which means by 1 January.
Frequently asked questions
Should Christmas decorations be taken down on 5th or 6th January?
Either date is traditional. The Church of England counts Christmas Day as day one, which makes Twelfth Night the evening of 5 January; traditions that start counting on 26 December put it on 6 January. Taking everything down on the evening of the 5th or during the 6th satisfies both.
Is 6 January the last day of Christmas?
Not in the Church of England’s count, where the twelfth day is 5 January. 6 January is Epiphany, which opens a season that runs to Candlemas on 2 February, and in medieval England Candlemas was treated as the end of Christmas.
When should you take the Christmas tree down after Christmas 2026?
Twelfth Night falls on Tuesday 5 January 2027 and Epiphany on Wednesday 6 January 2027. If you follow the older Candlemas custom, the date is Tuesday 2 February 2027.
What date is bad luck to take the Christmas tree down?
According to the superstition, any date after Twelfth Night is unlucky, and some versions say before it too. The older version, recorded in Robert Herrick’s 17th-century poem, sets the limit at Candlemas Eve, 1 February. English Heritage calls the Twelfth Night rule a modern invention.
What happens if you miss Twelfth Night?
Nothing, beyond the folklore. Tradition also ties the take-down to Candlemas on 2 February, and English Heritage suggests leaving decorations up until then; otherwise simply take them down when you can.
When should you put your Christmas tree up and take it down in the UK?
The traditional earliest start is Advent Sunday, the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and the traditional end is Twelfth Night on 5 January. In YouGov’s 2025 Christmas survey, only 14% of Britons thought it acceptable to decorate a home before the first week of December, and 56% of people who decorate take everything down between New Year’s Day and Twelfth Night.
How long can a real Christmas tree stay up?
About four weeks with care, according to the RHS: check the water in the stand every day, top it up, and keep the tree away from radiators and fires. A living tree in a pot should not stay indoors for more than 12 days.
