- Tree goes up
- Thanksgiving weekend (day after Thanksgiving is the single most popular date)
- Tree comes down
- First week of January is most common in practice, though 6 January (Epiphany/Twelfth Night) is the traditional religious end-point
- Local superstition
- No dominant national superstition, though some households informally follow the “twelve days” idea.
Why that date
American Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday of November) has become the de facto secular kickoff of the holiday season, reinforced by Black Friday retail culture and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s traditional Santa appearance.
What actually happens
A 2025-26 YouGov poll found 18% of Americans with a tree put it up before Thanksgiving, 28% between Thanksgiving and 1 December, 30% during the first week of December, and 19% between the second week of December and Christmas Eve; other surveys (Axios Local, Statista) put the day-after-Thanksgiving share as high as 45-55%.
Taking it down again
First week of January is most common in practice, though 6 January (Epiphany/Twelfth Night) is the traditional religious end-point. No dominant national superstition, though some households informally follow the “twelve days” idea.
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.
When the answer is finally yes
The bit you actually need
A short, unsentimental list. We only link to categories worth browsing, not to a hundred near-identical products.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links marked “Browse on Amazon” are paid links — if you buy something after clicking one, this site may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change the dates. See our affiliate disclosure.