Faerie Lore and Legends

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Traditional dates for the Yule tree / Christmas Tree

In this ecological day and age, its best for the environment to use a living tree or a fake tree, rather than killing a tree for decoration – its the most humane method. If you have the ability to replant a tree, a live tree is the most magical and best to replant before Oimelc. If you are going to harvest a tree, here is a good ritual blessing page on the topic: http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/yulethelongestnight/a/TreeBlessings.htm

Yule Trees/evergreen decorations:

Traditionally go up on the cross quarter between Samhain (Nov 7) and Winter Solstice (Dec 21) (or whenever astrological dates dictate is the midpoint between those dates). Traditionally taken down by no later than Oimelc or Candlemas (traditionally Feb 2). Other traditions suggest not putting them up until Yule Eve (Dec 20th) and take it down on Candlemas eve (Feb 1st/2nd) and burn on the balefire for Candlemas/Oimelc rite.

Christmas Trees/evergreen decorations:

Traditionally Xmas trees are not brought into the house or decorated until December 24th or Christmas Eve or in the traditions celebrating Xmas Eve rather than December 23rd – the first day of Christmas and then removed the day after January 5th (Twelfth Night) – to have a tree up before or after these dates was considered bad luck. Some set up the tree at the beginning af Advent, while families in North America tend to set up the tree as early as a week prior to American Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday of November) and Xmas decorations appear as early as the day after Halloween. Some don’t put up the trees until 2nd week of December and leave it up to Dcember 6th, while traditionally put up on December 24th and taken down by January 7th and in Roman Catholic homes the tree is kept up until February 2nd (Candlemas). Italy and Argentina as well as most Latin American countries, the tree is put up on December 8th (Immaculate conception date) and left up until January 6th. Earliest traditional lore and superstitions state it is a bad sign if Christmas greenery is not removed by Candlemas Eve (February 2). Modern lore: Take the Xmas tree down before New Years Eve to prevent dragging all your baggage and bad luck from one year into the other.