Dear Reverend, Everyone I know has already taken down their Christmas tree, but mine is still up. It's a real tree, but it looks great and smells absolutely fantastic. I kind of feel like I should take it down, but I don't really want to. How long is too long to keep a Christmas tree? Joey Noelle (man, 32) Dear Joey Noelle, One of the saddest sights to me is a Christmas tree on the side of the road on December 26. But to each their own. Some people think it's bad luck to take down your tree before the 12 days of Christmas are over on January 6. While that date has gotten a bad insurrection rap of late, it's also known as the Epiphany, Little Christmas or Three Kings Day. Other people believe you need to take down your tree before New Year's Eve or else you'll carry baggage from the previous year into the new one. If you want to get technical, the Christmas season isn't officially over until Candlemas, which falls on February 2 and actually does have to do with the origins of Groundhog Day — but I'll save that story for another time. Aside from taking down Christmas decorations, Candlemas traditions include eating pancakes, singing, lighting all the candles in the house and making bonfires. Those who celebrate are my kind of people. I like to say I take my tree down just before it bursts into flames, and I'm only half joking. Of course, safety comes first, and nobody needs a fire hazard in the living room. When your tree starts to turn brown, drops needles at the slightest touch or feels really brittle, it's time for it to check out of the inn. Until then, as long as it makes you happy and brings light into the darkness of winter, your tree is still doing its job. Good luck and God bless, The Reverend…