A woman has kept her Christmas decorations up to bring her happiness during the winter months.
And it appears she's not the only one breaking tradition, as searches for “how long to keep Christmas decorations up” has soared by 322% in the past month.
It looks like many people including Nicole, from London, want to try and extend the festive cheer for as long as possible.
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Nicole kept her trimmings up throughout January to keep spirits high.
She says it's brought a bit of brightness and joy to what would normally be a pretty bleak time of year.
Nicole told Festive Lights: "I usually tend to keep the Christmas decorations for a little longer because I fly over to the Netherlands on Boxing Day, and come back in the first week of January, which means I have less time to enjoy the decorations.
"With January being so depressing due to the grey weather and the lack of heating, I wanted to keep the cosy, warm Christmas vibe and with that light up the spirit.
"I do feel that the Christmas lights increase my happiness.
"So maybe I should just keep the Christmas decorations up all year around – why only during Christmas?
"This year was also the first time we've put the Christmas decorations up early due to a festive celebration we had with friends in our flat.
"Considering all the effort that goes into decorating for Christmas, I feel like I’ve had the opportunity to really enjoy the beauty of the festivities by having my decorations up longer than usual.
"The other reason is that I knew how long it took me to put the tree up, and the fact that the Christmas lights were tangled up, did put me off taking it down.
"It's just a lot of effort and isn’t as fun an experience getting rid of the decorations!”
Tradition states it's bad luck to keep your decorations up after the Twelfth Night, but not everyone agrees with the age-old rule.
Every year the "right" time to take the tree down divides opinion, with popular traditions slipping away and charities such as English Heritage advising people to leave their decorations up until Candlemas on February 2.
Experts have also shed light on the topic, and said many people felt they needed a little extra joy this year.
Paula Boston, Visual Merchandiser at Festive Lights, said: "It’s safe to say that everyone needed a bit of extra Christmas cheer in 2022, with many people getting in the festive spirit early and putting their decorations up earlier than usual.
"Now the holiday season is over, many homes can suddenly feel empty after the Christmas decorations disappear.
"With the cost of living crisis looming over people's heads, many are searching for ways to get some feel-good cheer, so it only makes sense that people are keeping some element of the festive season in their homes throughout the year, or leaving their decorations up a lot longer than usual.
"We usually recommend putting your tree down in January, especially if you’re using a real tree as they usually only last four weeks.
"While it can be difficult to get rid of the Christmas tree that brings a piece of the outdoors in your home, keep elements of nature in your space by dotting small plants throughout your rooms.
"Additionally, choose decorative items such as flowers, wood, stones, pebbles or neutral colours inspired by your garden to get rid of the winter woes in your home.
"With lights and other decorations, don’t be afraid to keep them in your home if you need to continue some festive cheer – just try to blend them seamlessly into your existing interior space!"
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