Lifestyle Home Here's When to Take Down Your Christmas Tree, According to Tradition If you haven't gotten around to taking down your Christmas tree by New Year's Day, don't worry By Maria Pasquini Maria Pasquini Maria Pasquini is the staff editor for human interest’s digital vertical at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2017. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 11, 2023 02:09PM EST Photo: Tim Macpherson/Getty Images While some people take down their Christmas trees as soon as Dec. 26 rolls around, others wait until the New Year (and sometimes much longer, even into the summer). However, is there a correct time to get rid of your holiday centerpiece? According to one tradition, yes. Although Dec. 25 is the day countless families all over the world celebrate Christmas, Christian tradition dictates that the winter holiday actually lasts until Epiphany, which is celebrated by many on Jan. 6 — 12 days after Christmas. The religious holiday, which is sometimes referred to as "Three Kings Day," celebrates the day the three wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. The day also serves as the start of the church's "season of Epiphany," which ends before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. Getty Images Kentucky Family Doesn't Notice Baby Owl Nesting in Their Christmas Tree for 4 Days So what does all of this have to do with Christmas trees? As Good Housekeeping points out, since the 4th century, many Christians have looked upon the Twelfth Night — also referred to as the Eve of the Epiphany — as the formal end of the Christmas season. RELATED VIDEO: The Cost to Deck the Halls like a Kardashian-Jenner Consequently, according to tradition, Twelfth Night is when those celebrating should take down their trees. Some even believe that if you wait too long after the Christmas season ends to dispose of your evergreen, you could be cursed with bad luck. Just to be on the safe side, it might be a good idea to set a reminder for Jan. 6 to take down your Christmas tree.