Sunday, January 9, 2011

Bad Luck?

It's barely a month in to the new year and already I'm hearing about bad luck a-brewin' around the place.  If it's not bad enough to walk under ladders and letting black cats wander in front of you, now it's bad luck to leave your Christmas Decorations up after 6th, January.  Is it really that bad to do this?
I've looked this up on the net and a few sites told of the Christian beliefs of the Twelve Days of Christmas and what they originally meant; and have dwindled to unfortunately, as I never knew the meaning of them until I read them here.
Then I found another site where it was written that the decorations were taken down on 6th, January because a long time ago, they were brought in from outside.  The Holly and Ivy were used to decorate people's homes and to provide a safe-haven for the tree spirits throughout the mid-winter until it was time to let them go outside again on 6th, January.  If you didn't put them back outside, the vegetation wouldn't be able to start growing again; thus Spring wouldn't start over again as it's supposed to.
Until 19th Century, people used to keep decorations holly, ivy, box, yew, lauren and mistletoe up  until 2nd, February, which is Candlemas Day, the end of the Christmas season; 40 days after the birth of Jesus.  Also, the Three Wise Men aren't included in the Nativity Scene until Candlemas Day; and the scene traditionally isn't taken down until 2nd, February.
Also, during the reign of Queen Victoria, all the decorations were taken down on the twelfth night and generally burnt.  So, even though these superstitions are long gone, and our decorations are now made from glass, paper, plastic and foil, we still feel uneasy about leaving up past the 6th of January.  Have you taken down your Christmas tree as yet?  Or is still sitting in living room decorated?  Mine's still up but the decorations are put away.  Until my next post, take care.  

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