Table of Contents
This year won’t be the first Christmas that the Queen has spent without her husband, but it will be the first in 75 years that she will have to confront the knowledge that he is not merely absent, but gone. Still, as we do at this time of year, no doubt her Maj will take refuge in Christmas tradition.
We all have them: traditions that vary with culture and geography, not to mention the peculiar little twists we might as a family put on the more established traditions.
One of these includes Christmas decorations and when to take them down.
In the UK, tradition dictates that decorations remain up until the Twelfth Night.
This is a Christian festival marking the beginning of Epiphany — a count of exactly 12 days from December 25, taking us to January 5.
When I was young, Mum was adamant that decorations went up precisely 12 days before, and came down 12 days after Christmas. I must confess, however, that I’ve succumbed more to the modern idea that decorations go up weeks before Christmas, and come down some time after Boxing Day.
Yet, the Queen — the head of the Church of England —chooses not to take her decorations down on the Twelfth Night, but in February.
According to royal biographer Brian Hoey, the Queen insists the decorations remain up until she leaves Sandringham.
She usually leaves the estate around the time of her Accession date — on February 6, 7, 8 and 11, depending on geographic location and time zone.
While her decision does not fall in line with the rest of the country, as one senior courtier reportedly said: “Royalty may not always be right, but they are never wrong.”
In fact, the Queen may be adhering to a much older English tradition: an Elizabethan one, in fact. In that time, decorations were left up until Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of Jesus Christ, falling on February 2, the 40th day in the Christmas-Epiphany season. The tradition persists in some Western European countries, including Germany.
And, in some Christian denominations – including Anglican – Christians bring their candles to their local church and are blessed, the candles serving as a symbol of Jesus for the rest of the year.
Another royal tradition can be traced back to the Royal Family’s German roots: the opening of presents.
While most people in the UK open gifts from their family on Christmas Day, the royals open theirs on Christmas Eve at Sandringham.
This tradition was started by Queen Victoria‘s husband Prince Albert, who was himself German.
During the afternoon, members of the family sneak downstairs, putting all their gifts on a trestle table.
Prince Philip is said to have oversaw the event, a tradition which soon turned into a Secret Santa-type comedic gift giving.
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, once gave Prince Harry a ‘Grow Your Own Girlfriend’ kit, while according to reports, Prince Charles‘ favourite gift from the exchange was from Anne — a leather toilet seat.
Express
I guess you had to be there.
In my family, Christmas Dinner was always on Christmas Eve. This is also the way of the Royals, although our family never had a quiet Christmas Day in order to give the servants a day off.
Sadly, a would-be tradition that my family steadfastly refuse to adopt is an annual, post-Christmas Dinner watching of the Star Wars Holiday Special. Not for want of me trying, mind.
