You’re probably familiar with the song about the 12 days of Christmas—but you may not have known that the 12 days don’t actually start until Christmas Day, which means there are almost two full weeks of celebrating left to do after Santa Claus arrives. According to Christian tradition, January 6 marks the day the three kings actually arrived in Bethlehem after Jesus was born, so this day signals the official end of the Christmas celebrations. This day is called The Feast of Epiphany, The Twelfth Night, or Three Kings Day, and in some parts of the world, it signifies a celebration that’s just as big as the one on Christmas Day. And while we’ll welcome any excuse to leave the red and gold ornaments and multicolor strand lights up a little longer, tradition says it’s actually unlucky to take your tree down before this date. So if you’re in favor of leaving the decor up as long as possible, use this excuse when your family asks why the tree is still up past New Year’s. So, now you know how long to leave the Christmas tree up. When you finally do take down the tree, get the garbage can (Better Homes & Gardens Stainless Steel Touchless Trash Can, $70, Walmart) ready to hold debris, but you don’t have to leave the tree on the curb; you can actually recycle live Christmas trees! Find a recycling program near you, or look for a service that will chip your tree into mulch for your garden. While the Christmas festivities technically end on Epiphany, the holidays aren’t over just yet. The day also marks the official start of the Mardi Gras season, so it’s tradition to serve King Cake on January 6. The tradition of Three Kings Day is actually where the name “king cake” comes from—and why there’s a tiny plastic baby hidden inside.
