Twelfth Night: When should you take down your Christmas decorations?

Forget coming up with present ideas for loved ones, some of the trickiest questions about Christmas are all about the decorations.

When do you put them up and when do you take them down?

Lots of people start wondering in November if it's too early to put their decorations up and come January, or Twelfth Night, even more start wondering when they have to take their decorations down.

But what is Twelfth Night, and when is it?

First off it's important to point out that there aren't any laws about Christmas decorations.

Some people love to put them up right after Halloween, and if they are selling Christmas goods in the shops, you could argue it's time to have them up at home.

However, others argue that having your decorations up too early can mean you get tired of them by the time Christmas comes along.

But in any case it's up to you and your family to do what you enjoy the best.

What is Twelfth Night?

The Three Wise Men wave to crowds gathered in Madrid in Spain to celebrate the feast of Epiphany

What is seen as being a little bit more strict is the tradition about taking decorations down- but even this can be a bit confusing and open for interpretation.

One of the most famous traditions is that of Twelfth Night and the idea that it is bad luck to leave your Christmas decorations up past Twelfth Night.

Twelfth Night is a Christian festival that takes place on the last night of the Twelve Days of Christmas, marking the coming of the feast of Epiphany when Christians celebrate the visit to Jesus by the Magi - commonly known as the Three kings, or Wise Men.

When is Twelfth Night?

There is no definite date for Twelfth Night and different religious traditions follow different date and times for it.

Some believe it comes twelve days after Christmas Day - so on 5 January - while others say the counting should begin on Boxing Day, which puts Twelfth Night on 6 January.

For those who think that it's on the 5 January, it's also sometimes called Epiphany Eve and Epiphany follows the next day.

What is Candlemas?

If it gets to 5 Jan and you aren't ready to take your decorations down just yet - there is another option.

The charity English Heritage suggests keeping your decorations up until February. It says that our medieval ancestors would leave them in place until the feast of Candlemas.

Falling exactly 40 days after Christmas, on 2 February, Candlemas was observed as the official end of Christmas in medieval England, according to English Heritage.

It explains that the date itself is an important feast day when traditionally the candles to be used in churches in the coming year would be blessed.

The choir at Ripon Cathedral prepare for Candlemas

There were also candlelit processions in honour of the feast.

"The tradition that it is bad luck to keep decorations up after Twelfth Night and the Epiphany is a modern invention," said Dr Michael Carter, English Heritage's Senior Properties Historian.

"Although it may derive from the medieval notion that decorations left up after Candlemas eve would become possessed by goblins!"