www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Taking down Christmas decorations

Does anyone know anything about the Western Christian custom of taking down Christmas decorations on the evening of Epiphany (6th January).? Superstitious people say it is bad luck to leave them up after that date. I heard somewhere that the origin of this superstition was to show loyalty to the New Western calendar and that anyone who left them up until later was secretly observing Old Calendar Christmas. I cannot remember where I heard this nonsense. Many traditionally minded Western rite New Calendarists will leave up some/all decorations until Candlemass others will take them down on the Octave of the Epiphany. Does anyone know anything about it ? When do Eastern rite and orthodox people take down their decorations ?

The only superstition connected with removing decorations with which I am acquainted is a poem entitled "Candlemass Eve":

Down with Rosemary, and so
Down with Bays and Mistletoe;
Down with Holly, Ivy, all
Where with ye drest the Christmas Hall;
That to the superstitious find
Not one least Branch there left behind
For look, how many leaves there be
Neglected there, maids, trust to me,
So many goblins you shall see.

--Robert Herrick

Parish custom is that the trees and other decorations are removed before the Epiphany liturgy, unless Epiphany falls on a Sunday in which case they are removed after the liturgy.

Creche and the poinsettias which surround it remain through Candlemass.

The dozens of creches in my home remain up through Candlemass as well.

In the old Ukrainian tradition, one takes out the "didukh" or Nativity wheat sheaf outside to burn after Epiphany and it is understood that the decorations are to be taken down then as well.

The popular notion is that it is indeed "bad luck" to keep them up after then.

Alex