When should you take down your Christmas Tree?

I know I am weird about taking down my Christmas tree and all the decorations (I'll tell you in a bit), so I was wondering when everyone else removes the tree, and what exactly the tradition is?

Google tells me that Christmas Decorations should be removed on the Twelfth Night of the Christmas festivities, which is January 5th, the day before Epiphany.  The superstition says that it is bad luck to take down the decorations before the Twelfth Night, and that if you don't take them down then they should stay up all year. Any one going to leave them up all year then? Or would you rather chance some bad luck than have to dodge droopy tinsel for the next 12 months?

Apparently the superstition is from the old traditions of the mid winter festivals, as it was thought that the greenery you brought inside had provided shelter for tree spirits, and that they should be released outside after the festival to allow the trees and crops to thrive again the following year.

As January 5th is Monday, that is also the first day back at school for many, so it's not the most convenient night to start packing things away and carrying them into the loft. We'll be far too busy reading letters from school, signing permission slips, and trying to work out how anyone can lose their jumper and tear their coat on the first day of term.

I love the build up to Christmas, but when it's over I just want to clean it all away immediately. I have to restrain myself for a few days, but I usually manage to pack it all up on New Year's Day morning well before the other half is awake. The kids didn't mind it being packed away, mainly because it gave them so much more space to play, and once the tree was gone we had room to open the rest of the boxes and set up all the new toys. At least that's how I sold it to them.

So, I take the decorations down far too early, and we're supposed to do it all on Monday night.

But what do you think? Is it a tradition in your house that you keep to, and make it part of the whole ritual? Or is it just a superstition, and you take down the tree when it's convenient?

We'd love to know what you think.