Time to undeck the halls? With Christmas in the rearview, an age-old debate has reentered the chat: when should you take down your seasonal decor?
It ultimately comes down to personal preference. For those unsure about when to take down their Christmas tree, religious tradition, survey data and social media discourse can be a guide.
While there’s no consensus on the “right” time to take down holiday decorations, some say it depends on how early they went up in the first place. Others recognize the decor season until early January, either by choice or because of Christian teaching.
As the debate heats up online, here’s a look at when people pack up the tree and trimmings:
When do most people take down their Christmas tree?
If you think decorations should already be down, you may be barking up the wrong tree, at least according to a recent survey.
A YouGov survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults conducted earlier this month found that most of those surveyed take down their Christmas tree at some point in January.
Among those who planned to have a Christmas tree this year, the survey found that 47% of them planned to take it down during the first week of January.
Another 24% of adults surveyed said they would be taking their tree down later in January, while 20% said theirs would be coming down between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Some say to wait for the Epiphany
Traditional Christian teaching says to celebrate Christmas through Jan. 6, known as Epiphany, so many opt to keep their decor up until at least then.
Rather than celebrating the holiday only on Dec. 25, Christian theology says Christmas should be celebrated for 12 days beginning on Dec. 25. Meaning the 12 days of Christmas start on Dec. 25 and end on Jan. 6.
Jan. 5 is the final night of that period and is referred to as the Twelfth Night. The following day, Jan. 6, is Epiphany or Three Kings Day, according to the Boston Public Library and History.com.
Epiphany marks the day when three kings traveled to Bethlehem to meet baby Jesus. The day is celebrated differently across cultures and sectors of Christianity, but it is widely considered the end of the Christmas season.
Social media split: ‘Rudolph ain’t even made his way back home’
On social media, opinions on the correct timing to take down holiday furnishings run the gamut.
Some accept criticism when admitting their decor comes down on Dec. 26.
“Taking down all the Christmas decor at 9am on the 26th because I’m a psychopath,” user @christinalujan7 said in a TikTok video.
Commenters on that video largely agreed; one person wrote, “I’m done being decor over stimulated lol,” while another said, “some of us just like a clean house.”
But some weren’t met with solidarity on their clean-up preferences.
“Time to take down Christmas and reset the house after the holidays! this is the most satisfying feeling to me, but I left a tree up for some cozy winter,” @carissacleansitall said in a Dec. 29 TikTok video, where commenters had mixed responses.
“Girl, Rudolph ain’t even made his way back home yet,” one person commented. Someone else said, “A trend I won’t be participating in. Tree is up till Jan 6.”
