US Trends

when should you take down christmas lights

Most people take down Christmas lights sometime between New Year’s Day and mid‑January, but there are also tradition- and safety-based “deadlines” people use.

Common Take-Down Dates

  • New Year’s Day (Jan 1): Many households pack everything up right at the start of the new year for a symbolic “fresh start.”
  • Epiphany / Twelfth Night (Jan 5–6): In Christian tradition, the 12 days of Christmas end on Jan 6, so lots of people use this as the “official” time to take lights down.
  • Second week of January: A typical window if you’re not tied to a specific holiday but don’t want decorations lingering too long.

Safety And Practical Limits

  • Electrical codes and safety experts often recommend keeping holiday lights up no more than about 90 days to reduce risks like weather damage and potential fire hazards.
  • The longer lights stay up, the more exposure they get to moisture, wind, and cold, which can crack insulation and wear out connections.

What People Actually Do

  • Many cities and professional installers schedule light removal sometime in January, often around or just after Jan 6.
  • Some homeowners keep lights or “winter lights” up through the darker months for ambience or mood, sometimes even into February, especially if they reframe them as general winter decor.

How To Decide For Yourself

Ask yourself:

  1. Do you follow religious tradition?
    • If yes, Epiphany (Jan 6) or even Candlemas (Feb 2) are common choices among some Christian groups.
  1. Do you care most about aesthetics and neighborhood norms?
    • New Year’s to mid‑January keeps you in the same range as most neighbors and many cities.
  1. Is safety and wear‑and‑tear your top concern?
    • Aim to remove lights well before the 90‑day mark and check cords for any damage when you take them down.

Quick Scoop (SEO-style summary)

  • Ideal range: New Year’s Day to the second week of January.
  • Tradition pick: Twelfth Night / Epiphany (Jan 5–6).
  • Hard ceiling: About 90 days for safety and code‑friendly use.
  • Flexible choice: Keep “winter lights” longer if you like, but dim or switch them to neutral colors so they feel seasonal, not just “still Christmas.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.