Chuck Billy, step away from the boxes for the Christmas tree decorations. I have found an historic reason to keep the house decorated for awhile longer! According to the website English-Heritage.org.uk, in Medieval England Christmas lasted to Candlemas, which is 40 days after December 25th. So technically we can keep our celebration going through February 2nd! And best yet, this should get your approval Chuck Billy, it involves feasting before putting the decorations away! Candlemas was celebrated in Medieval England with feasts and the blessing of candles that were used in churches in the coming year.

According to Dr Michael Carter, English Heritage’s Senior Properties Historian, “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 6 January. But contrary to popular belief, the Christmas season actually continues right through to Candlemas on 2 February – so there’s no real reason why you should take your decorations down earlier.”

Now before you go making accusations that leaving the Christmas decorations up past Twelfth Night, on January 6th, will bring bad luck, on the contrary! That is a recent urban legend! Alright, I admit there is the risk goblins could possess the decorations after February 2nd, but I think I found a loophole that not even people in Medieval England thought of – Groundhog’s Day! February 2nd is Groundhog’s Day, a day which in the movie by that name repeats over and over again. Therefore based on Medieval traditions, and that technicality of Groundhog’s Day, we can keep celebrating Christmas as long as we want!