[Irish_Thatcherite]

Almost nobody in America knows that anymore. It's "The Christmas Season" to them -- that's when you rush out right after Thanksgiving, put up a tree, spend weeks shopping for things, parties with Santa Clauses, the kids opening one present Christmas Eve, gift exchanges Christmas morning (that's the 12th day, you know), bored kids by afternoon, and on the 26th the tree is on the curb awaiting pickup. Christmas is over. (2nd option: tree remains until New Year's Day.)

Christmas is still a big holiday in Ireland - the Christmas tree is still up 'til the Epiphany!

[sionnsar]

Christmas is still a big holiday in Ireland - the Christmas tree is still up 'til the Epiphany!

I am happy to hear that! We keep ours up until then (tradition is to set it up Christmas Eve, but you can barely even buy a tree that day here anymore -- last year we drove for hours to even find a tree), but we're very much the exception.