Expert Reveals to Take Christmas Decorations Down by 6th January: Here’s Why
Decorating your home is a joyful way to kick off the festive season, but taking down the decorations afterwards is far less anticipated. With searches for ‘Christmas decoration storage’ being up by 215% in the last week, we teamed up with Shark Clean to reveal when to take down your decorations as well as the best way to pack them away!
Tradition says your tree should come down after the Twelfth Night, which celebrates the Three Wise Men arriving in Bethlehem.
The Church of England counts 12 days from Christmas Day, meaning it always falls on the 5th of January, while the Catholic Church and other denominations count from Boxing Day, making it the 6th of January.
Top tips for taking down Christmas decorations:
1. Store your artificial Christmas tree in a box
If you have an artificial tree, gently remove all the ornaments, tinsel, and lights before folding the branches and placing it back in its box. Storing it in the box will help preserve its shape, ensuring it looks flawless and ready to bring joy again next year.
2. Use a duvet cover to contain needles when moving your real Christmas tree
Even the best-kept tree is likely to be shedding after a few weeks indoors – but there are plenty of hacks to capture debris en route to the door.
While you can buy ‘tree bags’ to do this job, a quick solution is to open up an old duvet cover and slide it over the tree from the top. It’s also a good idea to lay down a sheet or tarp on the floor before you start removing the decorations to catch any droppage.
3. Individually wrap baubles to ensure no breakages
Glass baubles and ornaments are fragile but can last year after year if stored correctly. Wrap them individually in tissue paper or bubble wrap then carefully store them in an airtight box to protect them from humidity or dampness, with plenty of padding.
4. Wrap string lights around cardboard to avoid tangling
Lights can easily tangle if not stored away properly. To avoid any tangling, wrap lights around a rectangle of cardboard with a notch in one corner to tuck in the end.
5. Label all Christmas decor storage boxes/containers
After packing away all your decorations, clearly label boxes with exactly what is in them. This will make it much easier to find what you want next Christmas.