- Tree goes up
- 8 December (Immaculate Conception) is the traditional reference date, though many households now wait until mid-to-late December
- Tree comes down
- 6 January (Día de Reyes / Three Kings Day), the bigger gift-giving occasion in Spain, after which trees typically come down
- Local superstition
- No strong bad-luck belief specifically documented; the emphasis is on Reyes as the culminating celebration rather than tree removal per se.
Why that date
As in Italy and Latin America, 8 December’s Catholic feast day has long served as the conventional marker for beginning Christmas decorating, aided by it falling on a public holiday and creating a long weekend (“puente”) that many use for decorating.
What actually happens
In Spain, Three Kings Day (6 January) is arguably a bigger celebration for children than Christmas Day itself, since it is traditionally when the Reyes Magos (Three Kings) deliver presents.
Taking it down again
6 January (Día de Reyes / Three Kings Day), the bigger gift-giving occasion in Spain, after which trees typically come down. No strong bad-luck belief specifically documented; the emphasis is on Reyes as the culminating celebration rather than tree removal per se.
If you would rather not have this argument again next year, the calendar reminder on the home page will put both dates straight into your phone.
Sources
Other countries
When the answer is finally yes
The bit you actually need
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