The New Year's Eve festivities are now over and Christmas is a distant memory - and all you really want to do is take down the decorations and clean up the house - but when exactly should the the tinsel and tree come down?

This is usually the time where you send a tentative text to mother or give your grandma a call - especially if you are spending your first festive alone season after flying the nest.

There are two dates in contention for when you should take your tree and decorations down.

These are January 5, and January 6 - that's this Friday or Saturday.

This is supposed to fall in line with the Twelfth Night - a tradition which stems from Victorian times.

It is called Twelfth Night because it is the final stage of the traditional 12-day Christmas celebration - which begins on December 25.

Twelfth Night falls on Friday, January 5 however the Epiphany - a Christian celebration to mark two key events in Jesus Christ’s life, according to the Christian Bible.

Kids can't help being excited at Christmas
Kids can't help being excited at Christmas

The first event was when the three wise men, or kings, visited infant Jesus, and the second event was when St John the Baptist baptised Jesus.

These events fall on January 6.

Some also take their decorations down on January 6 because it is the twelfth day after Christmas Day.

So you have two choices, follow the Christian celebrations, or abide by the Twelfth Night, with Christmas Day as the beginning of the festive season.

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Why is it unlucky to leave up your decorations after this?

January 5 is observed as the last day of Christmas festivities - the eve of the Epiphany.

In the past it was believed that tree-spirits lived in the greenery – such as holly and ivy – that people used to decorate their homes.

Lots of us are looking forward to the Christmas break
Lots of us are looking forward to the Christmas break

While the festive season provided shelter for these spirits during the winter, they needed to be released outside once Christmas was over.

If this custom wasn't followed, greenery would not return and vegetation would not grow as a result, causing agricultural and then food problems.

Even though Christmas decorations are now less about foliage and more about baubles, glowing lights and tinsel, many people still adhere to the superstition.