So, are you taking your decorations down today?

The dates of most Christian festivals originated in the Middle East. I am fascinated by the idea that Middle Eastern christians came to Britain to study our pagan festivals and then took them back to the Middle East and introduced them there so that they could Christianise them.

Perhaps it was Joseph of Arimithea, who is said to have travelled to Britain and Glastonbury, where he planted the sacred thorn, who took these British customs and celebrations back to the eastern Mediterranean.

In fact since time began Humankind has noticed and celebrated key astronomic events, especially lunar events and the solstices, and almost everyone has incorporated these events into the beliefs and developed rituals around them. I doubt that the pre-Christian pagans in this country at the time of Christianisation were the first to develop their beliefs and ceremonies on these key dates. They probably took them from the ritual beliefs of other belief systems before theirs and so on ad infinitum to the beginning of time.

Franbern

Sounds to me as if the origions of Candlemas is to do with the Jewish tradition of Mikvah - ritual baths. These are gone to by the very strict jewish women following their monthly periods, and again, when bleeding stops after birth,. Often up to 40 days.

Religious practice is so much inter-twined with each other and with Paganism. Holly and Ivy (Pagan) at Christmas -which is based on Saturnalia. etc. etc.

Candlemas - "Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary"

And, of course, Mary was Jewish.

Women were not supposed to go out and mix with others after childbirth until they had been Churched.
I remember visiting an aunt with our new baby and she asked me if I'd been churched yet.

Sounds to me as if the origions of Candlemas is to do with the Jewish tradition of Mikvah - ritual baths. These are gone to by the very strict jewish women following their monthly periods, and again, when bleeding stops after birth,. Often up to 40 days.

Religious practice is so much inter-twined with each other and with Paganism. Holly and Ivy (Pagan) at Christmas -which is based on Saturnalia. etc. etc.

M0nica

No. DH spent Christmas in hospital, but came home yesterday. I have taken down the outside lights but everything inside stays until the weekend.

This morning he opened his stocking and tomorrow he may feel well enough to open his presents. At the weekend we hope he will feel up to a turkey dinner.

Just seen this post M0nica ...what a relief for you all that your DH is home again after what must have been a worrying time for you, especially with Covid around.
It will take time but he will be himself again, and at least won’t mind a quiet few months around the house and garden as we are all doing the same.Enjoy a late Christmas with him.

Oh dear, my thumbs don't seem to have woken up yet. That should read Candlemas of course.

Ré Candlrmad, I did a church music course and we learned that, in the Catholic Church at least, the idea that the Christmas cycle finished on 2 February was rescinded with the 2nd Vatican Council in 1963 and now it's over on 6 Jan, Epiphany. I've forgotten the reasoning.

Protestant churches, however, have kept the Christmas cycle going till Candlemas IIRC.

MOnica glad to hear your husband is home. He’s been through the mill. You too I expect. Hope he goes from strength to strength now.

We took our tree down at 4pm. Packed away the decorations (only a few) and the pretty twig tree in the hall. My candle bridge is staying put till Candlemas on 2 February though.

Always down on 2nd Jan, this year the Christmas decorations felt like a mockery.

Oops, I meant to say. Enjoy your belated Christmas, M0nica, and I hope your dear husband is back to full health and strength very soon.

Ours all came down today. I put them up very early this year to cheer us up and they were starting to look very sorry for themselves. I hate the house looking so bare, but it’s a lot cleaner now I’ve damp dusted for the first time in weeks.

I’ve left a couple of strings of lights around the place to brighten us up until the batteries go. If I’d read this thread earlier I’d have left the nativity out till Candlemass as well. Next year, Wise Men......

Monica you must have had a very stressful Christmas. I hope he continues to improve.
We’ve compromised on the decorations. The out side ones have gone but we are keeping the tree and swags in the dining room because they look so pretty and the candles in the sitting room because they are cosy.

MOnica, enjoy your celebrations with your DH for as long as you both wish, best wishes for his continued recovery!

I'm with Lemongrove, most of my decorations are staying up, possibly til Candlemas.

Candles, lights and Nativities (one on mantel, one in kitchen) definitely staying around this year.

Unusual, but this is an unusual time.

I saw an article on the BBC website which said it was common practice to keep Christmas greenery etc up til Candlemas a couple of centuries ago...

We took down ours today, or rather DH did with the help of the 2 DGC, they had great fun putting the baubles away in the bag until next year.
That corner of the room looks bare now but a bit more spacious as well.

M0nica You must be so relieved to have your DH home again; I hope he enjoys his belated Christmas and makes an excellent recovery.

MawBe

I always feel so sorry for the Wise Men.
They wait patiently, possibly inching their way along the mantelpiece until it’s time to appear at the stable -and if they could talk it would be like “What the **, she’s got the box out ready to pack us all away already?”

???

I didn't even manage to sew them up - they lie forlorn in the bag, dishevelled and unstuffed without any gifts. They couldn't go shopping because of lockdown, no gold, frankincense or myrrh to be found in any online stores so didn't bother to traverse anywhere.

I’ve not read all the replies so apologies if this next bit is duplicated! At the weekend, I heard someone on the radio say that it’s always a bit sad to take the decorations down, but if you leave them up too long, the decorations themselves begin to look sad. I tend to agree with this. We took ours down at the weekend. A friend of mine takes the decorations down about 2 days after Christmas as she says they lose their “meaning” if left up too long.

Why is it that every year, once all the boxes have been taped up and hauled into the loft, that I then find at least three decorations I have missed?

Well, that's it for another year. Everything tidied away and the regular stuff back in it's proper place. ?

Decorations came down today. I still hold with the superstition that it's bad luck to take them down before 12th night.

When I was little we always kept them up until my sister's friends had gone as it was her birthday on the 6th and our mother kept the tree and everything up until after her party for some extra sparkle.

The tree is chopped up and waiting next to the hearth to serve as kindling and the batteries taken out of all the fairy lights. Boxes not quite packed away yet, I think there might still be a couple of Christmas napkins to wash....

As normal took the ones down in my home on New years eve. But the tree in the foyer of our block of flats stayed up until today, when it has been taken down and packed away for next year.

Oh that’s good news M0nica, I am sure he’ll enjoy the sight of the Christmas decorations and be mighty relieved to be home. Let’s hope he fancies a bit of turkey or some little Christmas treats, by the weekend.
All good wishes to you both.

Our decorations and tree came down yesterday and were packed away. The cards came down today and I have done a good ‘damp dust’ of the downstairs.

Hope DH makes a good recovery Monica.
Christmas decorations down yesterday. Will leave the Nativity until Candlemas

All done and dusted looks bare without them.

M0nica so pleased you have your husband home at last, he will feel better in his own bed and surroundings.

All decorations down and packed away in the loft, I do miss them for a few days, but have lots of candles to light at dusk.