Customs and traditions Setting up and taking down thumb|Adding decorations to tree Both setting up and taking down a Christmas tree are associated with specific dates; liturgically, this is done through the hanging of the greens ceremony. In many areas, it has become customary to set up one's Christmas tree on Advent Sunday, the first day of the Advent season. Traditionally, however, Christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until the evening of Christmas Eve (24 December), the end of the Advent season and the start of the twelve days of Christmastide. It is customary for Christians in many localities to remove their Christmas decorations on the last day of the twelve days of Christmastide that falls on 5 January—Epiphany Eve (Twelfth Night), although those in other Christian countries remove them on Candlemas, the conclusion of the extended Christmas-Epiphany season (Epiphanytide). According to the first tradition, those who fail to remember to remove their Christmas decorations on Epiphany Eve must leave them untouched until Candlemas, the second opportunity to remove them; failure to observe this custom is considered inauspicious.
customs and traditions setting up and taking down thumb|adding decorations to tree both setting up and taking down a christmas tree are associated with specific dates; liturgically this is done through the hanging of the greens ceremony in many areas it has become customary to set up one's christmas tree on advent sunday the first day of the advent season traditionally however christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until the evening of christmas eve (24 december) the end of the advent season and the start of the twelve days of christmastide it is customary for christians in many localities to remove their christmas decorations on the last day of the twelve days of christmastide that falls on 5 january—epiphany eve (twelfth night) although those in other christian countries remove them on candlemas the conclusion of the extended christmas-epiphany season (epiphanytide) according to the first tradition those who fail to remember to remove their christmas decorations on epiphany eve must leave them untouched until candlemas the second opportunity to remove them; failure to observe this custom is considered inauspicious