The Queen's Sad Tradition Of Keeping Her Christmas Decorations Up Until February Explained

Jan 23, 2022 by apost team

Queen Elizabeth II is the reigning monarch of England, and nothing has so far stopped her from carrying out all of her royal duties, no matter what circumstances were thrown her way. Despite such a difficult past year for the royal family, the queen has continued to go above and beyond to carry out all of her responsibilities and see over all of the members of the royal family. 

She went through her unfortunate share of hardships during 2021, as her longtime husband, Prince Philip, passed away, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their official publicized departure from the family. With the couple's departure, Harry and Meghan's duties as active members of the royal family were forced to be redistributed to other members, with the queen making all the big decisions and having the final say.

It's safe to say that the queen has had to deal with several overwhelming emotions throughout the past few months, and it seems as if health problems are now adding to her already significant burden. While she seemed to recover during the last months of 2021 and was about and holding strong despite needing to use a cane, the queen ended up canceling her appearance at the Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph and her five-yearly visit to General Synod, the national assembly of the Church of England. However, it seems she is now starting to recover again as we come into 2022.

One tradition that has been giving the Queen strength and has been kept up for several years is her decision to leave the official royal Christmas decorations standing until February. Read on to find out what the reason for this unusual habit is.

Those who do not know about this unusual Christmas tradition might think that it has to do with the queen's upcoming Platinum Jubilee.

On February 6 of this year, Queen Elizabeth will add another year to her reign as queen of the United Kingdom and the 15 Commonwealth realms, which will make her the first British ruling monarch to reach the 70-year milestone. In fact, she's already made history as she's the fourth longest-serving monarch ever. She's only bested by three other rulers, including Louis XIV of France, Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and Johann II of Liechtenstein. The longest reign stands at 72 years and 110 days, and many believe the queen could make it to the top spot.

A Platinum Jubilee celebration is set for this year in honor of the queen's 70-year reign. Since the date falls into February, one might think the Christmas decorations might be kept up until they are exchanged with decorations worthy of this once-in-a-lifetime event. However, the main celebration for the Platinum Jubilee will be held over four days in June, before culminating on the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, which will be held on June 5, 2022. Additionally, the people of Britain will enjoy a four-day public holiday over the course of the weekend.

It will begin with Trooping the Colour on June 2, which will see 1,200 officers take part alongside Army musicians and horses. The parade will mark the first time the event has been staged in full since the start of the pandemic.

The following day on Friday, June 3, a Service of Thanksgiving for Elizabeth's reign will take place at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. On Saturday, June 4, Buckingham Palace will host a live concert hosted and broadcast by the BBC titled Platinum Party at the Palace.

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All of these festivities have nothing to do with the upkeep of the Christmas decorations, however. The winter holiday season is a time of enchantment and wonder. Crisp wintry air is filled with scents of pine wreaths and baked goods. Homes and businesses display lights and special decorations. Children's choirs jubilantly burst forth into song, and the world is filled with good cheer. Many people who love Christmas would love to keep this magical feeling for a bit longer, but the reason behind the decorations' long life is not as easy as that.

The yearly royal Christmas demands a special home away from the traditional fray of Buckingham Palace and the big city. Sandringham is the country home the royal family purchased in 1862. It sits on 20,000 acres of pristinely beautiful land and is located approximately 100 miles north of London. It also has found such a home in the collective royal heart that it escaped demolition and has been open for public tours since 1977.

The royal family's holiday traditions provide meaningful ways to involve one another, and the general public while keeping sacred the memories of loved ones who have passed. We all have different ways we make the holidays unique for those we love. 
While Sandringham is full of holiday activities and glamour, there's a more private side to holiday celebrations. Each year, the Queen keeps her holiday decorations up until February 6. This is to commemorate the date in 1952 when her father, King George VI died at Sandringham. The decorations serve to honor his memory in the home he loved. The tradition has been followed for many decades, even though the death of King George VI is now many years past. However, as we all know, we never forget those people who have truly touched our lives.

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions? Do you have any holiday tradition that spans longer than the actual holiday? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to pass this article along to others.