Christmas has come and gone and it seems to have gotten even bigger than ever but why is today traditionally the day where people take down their Christmas decorations?
January 5 is seen as the last day of Christmas festivities and is the eve of the Epiphany. The Epiphany is where the Three Wise Men visited Jesus and brought him gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The reason why today is the day take down the decorations is that it’s always been believed that tree-spirits lived in the greenery, such as holly and ivy, that people used to decorate their homes.
It’s believed that the festive season provided shelter for these spirits during the winter, but that they needed to be released outside once Christmas festivities were over.
If this custom wasn’t followed, then it’s believed that greenery would not return and vegetation would not grow as a result, causing agricultural and food problems.
Although not all countries celebrate this tradition, as you’ve probably seen over the past week in Ireland, even though Christmas decorations are now less about foliage and more about baubles, glitter, tinsel, most people still adhere to this tradition.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.