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Twelfth Night- is it really bad luck?

(60 Posts)
BeneathTheHowlingStars Sun 04-Jan-26 09:58:29

I have been very ill for most of December and so far this month too. Luckily I did get my Christmas decorations up before I fell ill. The problem is that I'm not well enough to take them down and I have nobody to do it for me. Is it really bad luck to leave them up after twelfth night? I can't see me getting them down anytime soon and I could do without yet more bad luck.

midgey Sun 04-Jan-26 16:25:47

The other handy thing about leaving the decorations up is they disguise so much dust! Leave them up!

DamaskRose Sun 04-Jan-26 17:17:50

BeneathTheHowlingStars

Thank you all so much for your kind words and reassurance. My decs will be staying up until I feel better. As you have pointed out they do cheer me up. If anyone says anything I will tell them that it was good enough for Queen Elizabeth so its good enough for me 🎄🎄🎄

That’s the spirit! Just do you! And you’ll have the benefit of the cheerfulness! Get well soon Beneath flowers

RosiesMawagain Sun 04-Jan-26 17:18:12

No, OP of course it isn’t.
No more than Friday 13th, black cats, spilling salt or walking under ladders.
Thee are superstitions and for every person who comes along with anecdotes about how they courted disaster, there are 99 people who take no notice and life goes on.

Esmay Sun 04-Jan-26 18:54:52

My decorations are outside . I usually decorate the whole of the front garden and the back .
Thus year my efforts are pathetic .
They were late going up as I felt really ill and was sick right through Christmas .
If I don't feel like taking the lot down tomorrow I'll just remove one symbolically.

Esmay Sun 04-Jan-26 18:55:26

Get Well soon .
💐
X

LOUISA1523 Sun 04-Jan-26 18:55:26

Mine are always down before new year ...but I don't think it matters whatever you choose

watermeadow Sun 04-Jan-26 19:45:31

My grandmother was superstitious. She was born in 1890 and left school at 12.
If you were born anytime after that you should know there’s no such thing as luck.

ginny Sun 04-Jan-26 19:57:09

Just superstition , so wait and enjoy them until you are ready to take them down.
Get well soon.

Norah Sun 04-Jan-26 20:46:09

Decorations.

Grannynannywanny Sun 04-Jan-26 21:04:31

I made a start on dismantling mine this afternoon. I’ll lower the tone by showing you one of my Christmas cards in the hope of giving someone a laugh .

Marg75 Sun 04-Jan-26 21:32:28

Grannynannywanny
🫢🤣

25Avalon Sun 04-Jan-26 21:47:01

Is 12th night when decorations traditionally come down the 5th or the 6th January? I always go with the 6th which is the Feast of Epiphany but some go by the 5th. I think it depends when you start counting.

Dickens Mon 05-Jan-26 03:28:53

Grannynannywanny

🤣🤣

HelterSkelter1 Mon 05-Jan-26 05:38:23

My sparkly white lights stay up all year over the dresser. The only other decs this year were the small tree plus sparkly lights and the cards. The small tree will stay until I feel like removing it, as it looks like a plant with tbe lights switched off, and the cards I have gathered and tbey go back in the shoe box I have covered witb Cbristmas paper.
I really don't think any bad luck coming my way this year would have swerved had I taken everything down by 12th night.

Get better soon OP. Like others have said, I hope you are getting help with shopping and meals.

grandMattie Mon 05-Jan-26 05:42:36

Technically, the post-Christmas season ends at Candlemas in February . I had a friend who kept everything up until then, tree, lights, tinsel…
Anyway, unless you are very superstitious, don’t give it another thought!

undines Mon 05-Jan-26 13:51:01

It is NOT bad luck! It just depends to which tradition you subscribe! In some places decorations stay up until the beginning of February, when the first pagan festival of spring - 'Imbolc' - arrives. Ours will certainly be staying up while it feels dark and wintry, although I have tidied away all the cards.

Stansgran Mon 05-Jan-26 13:55:18

I started taking them down today but putting them away will take most of tomorrow as I don’t notice things like candle or bowls of decorations until late. I like the idea of leaving it up til candlemas but my tree has started dropping.@ beneath the howling stars I hope there is someone who can get your shopping for you.

Astitchintime Mon 05-Jan-26 13:58:36

There are some houses in our town that NEVER take them down, not heard of any catastrophic incidents here!

hebburnsent Mon 05-Jan-26 14:03:04

Of course not. My husband retired before me. I thought he should take them down. They were still up in March 😂

Mojack26 Mon 05-Jan-26 14:24:00

Don't be ridiculous....Just leave them till you're able orget someone else to do it if it bothers you that much.Mine were down 30th December! 🤣

Bazza Mon 05-Jan-26 14:44:46

Be like a European and call them winter decorations and take them down well you feel better, which I hope is really soon.

Homestead62 Mon 05-Jan-26 15:15:43

It will be ok to leave them up till you get better. Took our Christmas things down on 2nd January, which is about our usual. Hope you feel better.

HobbyCat Mon 05-Jan-26 15:21:19

Nothing brings bad luck, it just happens. I mean, think about it. How could leaving Christmas decorations up influence what happens in the rest of your year? One year I got a stick on the wall Christmas tree for my bedroom and it’s still up five years later!

TillyWhiz Mon 05-Jan-26 16:51:09

Our Cathedral doesn't take its Christmas Tree down until Candlemas on 2nd February. It has stood for 800 years plus - I think you'll be OK smile. Just get well soon. flowers

Lemonred Mon 05-Jan-26 17:24:03

I had the idea that it’s a Pagan belief to get them down before 12th night? And it dated back to when people bought greenery in from the woods to decorate. The woodland spirits would then have to stay in your house for the year if you didn’t take them down. So, I think it’s more likely to bring ill luck if you tire yourself out doing them. Took me two days at the weekend, and I was flipping beat by the time I’d done!