When and How to Take Down the Christmas Tree - Folk Beliefs.

A Christmas tree with decorations at home adds mood and charm. However, it needs to be taken down in Time. According to folk beliefs, trees that stay at home longer than necessary can attract problems and misfortunes.

The Gazeta.ua website has gathered some tips on when and how to best take the Christmas tree out of the house.

It is believed that a tree stops bringing happiness when brown spots start appearing on its branches. According to belief, this is how negative energy accumulates in trees, and such trees should be parted with.

It's also important to take down the tree if decorations suddenly start falling off. They say this is the way house spirits communicate with the owners. It indicates that the holidays are over and it's time to put away the decorations.

Traditionally, trees are taken out of the house after January 14, when the old New Year is celebrated. The tree can stay until January 19 - Epiphany.

If you see that the trunk of the tree is splitting, this is also a reason to take it out. It is believed that this is a sign of an evil spirit that has settled in the tree.

Taking out the Christmas tree should be done correctly. For example, according to belief, it shouldn't be thrown out the window. Those who do not follow this advice face troubles, and wishes made on New Year's Eve do not come true.

A live tree can be thrown out at a special waste collection site or given for recycling. Cleaning up the Christmas tree should be done carefully. Besides mystical reasons, sharp needles can scatter all over the room and complicate cleaning. If the tree stands on a layer of film or a bag, it can be gently shaken before taking out to keep most of the needles on the bag.

It used to be common to burn Christmas trees while saying: "I carry misfortunes out of the house, leaving last year's problems, cleansing myself with fire, instilling success." According to beliefs, ash from Christmas trees contributes to a good harvest, so it can be collected and sprinkled on the garden.

With artificial trees, everything is simpler. They just need to be washed, dried, and stored in boxes.

The most important Christmas tree in Ukraine has made it to the list of the best in the world. The festive tree can be seen at Sophia Square in Kyiv. The corresponding list was published by BBC.

The 12-meter Ukrainian "Tree of Invincibility-2023" is decorated with almost 1000 yellow-blue ornaments from previous years, as well as an image of Archangel Michael, the protector of Kyiv. There are also flags of countries supporting Kyiv in overcoming the challenges and consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine on the tree.