Good luck or bad? How Christmas decorating traditions vary in England

In some areas of Staffordshire, holly had to be burned at Candlemas, while in others it had to be kept until the following year to protect the house from lightning. Photograph: Harry Sheridan/Alamy

When do you put your Christmas decorations up and take them down? How do you dispose of them afterwards? And do you adhere to the strict traditions for your specific locality?

If not, then this simple festive activity could have been placing you at hair-raising peril for the year ahead, according to researchers from the University of Leeds.