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Is it time to remove the hall deck?
With Christmas just around the corner, an old debate is making a comeback. “When should you take down seasonal decorations?”
Ultimately it comes down to personal preference.
But for those who aren’t sure when to take down their Christmas tree, religious traditions, research data, and social media discourse can serve as a guide.
There is no consensus on the “right” time to take down Christmas decorations, but some say it depends on how early you take them down in the first place. Others, either by choice or by Christian teaching, recognize the decorating season as extending to early January.
As the debate heats up online, let’s take a look at when people pack up their trees and prunings.
When do most people take down their Christmas trees?
If you think the ornaments should have already come down, you might be barking up the wrong tree, at least according to recent research.
A YouGov survey of more than 1,000 American adults conducted earlier this month found that most of those surveyed had removed their Christmas tree at some point in January.
The survey found that 47% of people who planned to put up a Christmas tree this year planned to take it down during the first week of January.
Another 24% of adults surveyed said they would take down their tree in late January, and 20% said they would take down their tree between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Some say we should wait for Epiphany.
Traditional Christian teaching states that Christmas should be celebrated until January 6, known as the Feast of the Epiphany, so many people choose to keep their decorations up at least until then.
Christian theology says that Christmas should be celebrated for 12 days starting on December 25th, rather than just celebrating it on December 25th. So the 12 days of Christmas start on December 25th and end on January 6th.
January 5th is the last night of the period and is called “Twelfth Night.” The next day, January 6th, is Epiphany or Three Kings Day, according to Boston Public Library and History.com.
The Feast of Epiphany refers to the day the three kings traveled to Bethlehem to meet the infant Jesus. How this day is celebrated varies by culture and Christian branch, but it is widely considered to be the end of the Christmas season.
Social media split: “Rudolph isn’t home yet”
Opinions vary widely on social media about the right time to remove holiday furniture.
Some accept the criticism, acknowledging that the interior was removed on December 26th.
“I’m a psychopath so I’m going to take down all my Christmas decorations at 9am on the 26th,” user @christinalujan7 said in a TikTok video.
Most commenters on this video agreed. One person wrote, “I’ve stopped being overstimulated by decorations lol,” and another said, “Some people like a clean house.”
But some were not united in their cleanup preferences.
“Once the holidays are over, it’s time to take down Christmas and reset the house! This is the most satisfying feeling for me, but I left the tree in for a cozy winter,” @carissacleansitall said in a Dec. 29 TikTok video, which received mixed reactions from commenters.
“Girl, Rudolph isn’t even home yet,” one person commented. Another said: “This is a trend I won’t be participating in. Tree only ends January 6th.”
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
