Christmas is one of my favourite family celebrations. As a French-Canadian, I grew up with a sense of tradition that especially focused on this time of year. My mother still starts shopping in January for next year’s Christmas. So when our team was asked about when to take down your tree, we had to look up the rest of the superstitions around Christmas quiz Christmas….
“I have been looking for the right answer to this question. I have always heard that If you take your Christmas tree down before Jan 1st. You will have bad luck for the rest of the year. My sister who lives in another state has always heard that if you leave your tree and any of your Christmas decoration up till the first you would have bad luck. She takes everything down before Jan 1st. I take them all down after the first of the year. Which of one of these superstitions would be correct. Or if you have any input please let me know. Thank you, Tracey”
The actual belief is that all trees should remain up through 12th night. That is the 5th of January -in fact do not take down until the 6th. There is no bad luck attached at all have – I have friends that do it all ways and their luck doesn’t vary. Not to worry take it down any time you want. V
While Christmas for me and my family has always been a time to pull out the old decorations – and to celebrate the old traditions and family rituals, it has never been associated with any particular superstitions…. so I was very surprised to find that there are a LOT of funny beliefs, many contradictory, around this festival. Here’s what we found…
On being born at Christmas
from 1525
Yef that day that Cryste was borne. Falle upon a Sunday ..
what chylde that day borne be, A grete lorde he shalle be
Yf Crystemas day on Monday be ..
They that be borne that day, I wene,
They shalle be stronge eche on and kene..
Yf Crystmas day on Tuysday be ..
Alle that be born there in may se,
They shall be stronge and covethouse..
Yf Cyrstmas day the sothe tosa, Fall uopn a Woydnysday
What childe that day borne ys, He shall dowghte and lyghte i-wysse..
Yf Crystmas day on Thursday be,
What chylde that day borne bee, He shalle have happy ryghte well to the,
Of dedes he shalbe good and stabylle; Of speche and tonge wyse and reasonabylle..
Yf Crystmas da on Froday be,
The chylde that ys borne that day,
Shall long lyve and lecherowus be aye..
Yf Crystmas on the Saterday falle ..
chyldren that e born that day,
Within a halfe a yere they shall dye, par fay.
From 1787 comes the supersition that children born on Christmas eve or Christmas day cannot see spirits. And from 1878 the belief that if you were born on Christmas day you could never be drowned or hanged… by 1957, these old beliefs had evolved to simply state that a child born Christmas day would be lucky in life…
Welcoming Father ChristmasIn 1878 we hear that “It is lucky to be the first to open the house-door at Christmas….:saying ‘Welcome Father Christmas’.
On Christmas morning, the first to come downstairs was expected to take a broom, set wide the front door, and sweep ‘trouble’ from the threshold.