Post-Christmas cheer

I see that English Heritage is encouraging the public to do as their mediaeval ancestors did and leave their Christmas decorations up until Candlemas (2nd February). The charity will be following its own advice at several of its historic places, with decorations remaining in place throughout January at Audley End House in Essex, Framlingham Castle in Suffolk and Osborne on the Isle of Wight. 

I rather like this idea. 

Candlemas falls 40 days after Christmas and was the official end of Christmas in mediaeval England. Also known as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was a great feast day and was marked by lighting candles and by candlelit processions. To this day, Christmas cribs remain in place in many churches until Candlemas, and their removal is described in an early 17th-century poem by Robert Herrick (1591-1674) called Ceremony Upon Candlemas Eve:

Down with the rosemary, and so 

Down with the bays and misletoe; 

Down with the holly, ivy, all 

Wherewith ye dress’d the Christmas hall; 

That so the superstitious find 

No one least branch there left behind; 

For look, how many leaves there be 

Neglected there, maids, trust to me, 

So many goblins you shall see.

On the English Heritage website here, Dr Michael Carter - Senior Properties Historian - says: 

'In the Middle Ages, houses would be decorated with greenery for the Christmas season on Christmas Eve day. The feast of Christmas started at around 4pm on Christmas Eve afternoon and continued until the Epiphany on 6th January. But contrary to popular belief, the Christmas season actually continues right through to Candlemas on 2nd February so there's no real reason why you should take your decorations down earlier. The tradition that it is bad luck to keep decorations up after Twelfth Night and the Epiphany is a modern invention, although it may derive from the mediaeval notion that decorations left up after Candlemas eve would become possessed by goblins! I’m of the opinion that, after the year we’ve all had, we certainly deserve to keep the Christmas cheer going a little longer.'

There is some debate whether Twelfth Night should be the 5th or the 6th - the church opts for the 5th because it counts Christmas Day as one of the twelve. What I say is ... to hell with modern traditions. January is a pretty gloomy month so why not brighten it up a little but leaving the decorations up for a while longer?

Admittedly, I will probably dispose of the tree this weekend but I'll leave the external decorations up until Candlemas to try to engender a few more weeks of festive joy.