You’re traditionally supposed to take down your Christmas tree on Twelfth Night – either the evening of January 5 or on January 6 (Epiphany), depending on which Christian or cultural tradition you follow. That said, plenty of people now choose any time between December 27 and the first week of January based on convenience, safety, and how fresh the tree still looks.

Classic traditions

  • In many Western Christian traditions, Christmas lasts 12 days from December 25, ending on Twelfth Night, so decorations and the tree come down on January 5 or 6.
  • Twelfth Night is tied to Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men to Jesus, and is treated as the symbolic end of the Christmas season.

Alternative popular dates

  • Some households take the tree down on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day to “reset” for the new year and avoid any superstition about decorations lingering into January.
  • Others aim for sometime between December 27 and the first full week of January, fitting it around school and work schedules rather than strict tradition.

Safety and practical factors

  • For real trees, dry, yellowing, or very needle‑shedding branches are a sign it should come down, even if that’s earlier than Twelfth Night, due to fire‑safety concerns.
  • Collection days for real‑tree recycling or local council pickups can also set your practical deadline, so people sometimes time removal to match those services.

Cultural variations

  • In some German and Central European traditions, trees stay up through January 6 and sometimes even until February 2 (Candlemas), treating that as the true end of the Christmas cycle.
  • Many modern families simply keep the tree up as long as it still feels festive and manageable, then pick a convenient weekend in early to mid‑January to pack it away.

TL;DR:
If you want to follow tradition, take your Christmas tree down on Twelfth Night (January 5 or 6). If you prefer modern practicality, choose any time from just after Christmas through the first week of January, or earlier if your real tree is getting dry.

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