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WAIT! DON'T DO IT! It's not time to take that tree and your decorations down yet! You are supposed to wait until AFTER the Epiphany of our Lord...which is January 6th. January 5th is called "Twelfth Night" in some areas of the world (and it is where the William Shakespeare play got its name). It is considered "Epiphany Eve" and the 12th day of Christmas. This is the end of the Christmas season and THEN we are able to take the Christmas decorations down. 

Epiphany is a meaningful time for many Christians. One of the very first holidays (also called feast days) of the year, Epiphany comes on the heels of Christmas celebrations and is a time of joy and faith. Epiphany, aslo called Theophany, is a celebration of God manifesting as the baby Jesus and revealing Himself to the world. The holiday also marks the day of the Magi, or the Wise Men, visited the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Jesus' baptism is also celebrated during Epipnany. 

The Wise Men were known to be astronomers (some cite them as astrologers) who paid close attention to the stars and the planets above. The star is called the Star of Bethlehem. It has been visible several times since Jesus' birth, though it's rare. It was most recently visible on December 21,  2020. It occured as Jupiter and Saturn, the two largest planets in our solar system, conjunct to form the "Christmas Star", and will likely not be seen again until 2080. 

Now on the other hand, let's not leave our decorations up any later than this. When we do this, the purpose and the meaning of the lights lose their spiritual impact. In fact, they can even be seen as disrespecting the season of the light of Christ. And they can really irritate your neighbors! 

Enjoy your decorations for a little longer and share with your neighbors the reasoning behind letting your lights so shine among others...so they can see the Good works of Jesus Christ! AMEN! Merry Christmas!