Twelfth Night

There isn't total agreement as to whether Twelfth Night should be celebrated on 5th or 6th January.  I have my own ideas, but they are not really relevant - the important thing is to mark it in some way.

For many people it is the day when the Christmas decorations are taken down and packed away, although the superstition that leaving decorations up after Twelfth Night brings bad luck originally applied to decorations left after 2nd February - the real end to the full Christmas season.  As I mentioned last year, I follow a tradition set by my great grandmother and keep some decorations until after 8th January, my mother's birthday.

Yesterday evening, as I drove through the local market towns, the Christmas lights were still on.  This evening they were off, although some individual shops and houses still had their festive lights.

We still haven't finally settled on our Christmas 2015 theme, but all will be revealed very soon!  In part the delay is because we found that the post Christmas sale at the major craft shop chain we visit was rather disappointing this year.  However, we have short-listed three possibilities and I think we have a distinct leaning towards one of them.

The photo is of some of our Christmas greenery - which, in a centrally heated house, can't last the full Twelve Days without being renewed!