I’ve still got my Christmas tree – and it’s staying up until 2 February

Yes, my kids asked me to, but no, I’m not some tinsel-obsessed pushover, writes Fleur Britten. I’m part of a growing group of believers that we should keep our trees until Candlemas – and here’s why...

Fearless fir: Fleur Britten is adamant her Christmas tree is staying up past January ( Fleur Britten)

It’s the third week of January, and our Christmas tree is still – still – up, pride of place in the living room, its fairy lights still sweetly twinkling away. Completely intentionally! You may well be wondering whether the sky fell in over our house after such wilful disobedience of the Christian tradition that states that all festive decorations must be down by Twelfth Night. No, I can categorically report that it did not.

It was actually at my children’s request, and a first for our household – I did not miss a beat in answering, actually yes – why on earth not? Why not harness the festive spirit when we most need it? In the face of cold January gloom, doesn’t it make perfect sense to keep the fairy lights switched on for as long as possible? I know I’m not alone, as I can see my neighbour still has all her outdoor lights up, and friends in London report the same about their neighbours too. It cheers me up every time I pass them.

Honestly, I don’t understand why more people don’t question this irrational superstition, because, let’s face it, I don’t see a deadline for getting rid of Christmas on Twelfth Night written anywhere in the scriptures. It’s not like wrestling a prickly, heavy, cumbersome fir tree out of the house could possibly qualify as anyone’s idea of fun – I can’t deny that delaying this chore was part of my justification here. Maybe that’s why the rule was invented, so that we’ll be worried into doing a job that no one wants to do, before the tree sheds all its needles all over our living rooms.