| Twelve Days of Christmas | |
|---|---|
 The Adoration of the Magi,Fresco at the Lower Church of theBasilica of San Francesco d'Assisi inAssisi, Italy | |
| Observed by | Christians |
| Type | Christian |
| Observances | Varies by denomination, culture, and nation |
| Date | 25 December – 5 January, inclusive |
| Frequency | annual |
| Related to | Christmas Day,Christmastide,Twelfth Night,Epiphany, andEpiphanytide |
TheTwelve Days of Christmas, also known as theTwelve Days of Christmastide, are the festiveChristian season celebrating theNativity.
Christmas Day is the First Day. The Twelve Days are 25 December to 5 January, counting first and last. TheOctave, or Eighth Day, isNew Year's Day and theFeast of the Circumcision, the dayJesus was circumcised in accordance with the Jewish faith. The evening of the last day of the Twelve Days of Christmastide isTwelfth Night or Epiphany Eve,[1][2] with the next morning beingEpiphany, which commences the season ofEpiphanytide in certain traditions.[3]
For Christian denominations such as theAnglican Communion or theLutheran Church, the Twelve Days are identical toChristmastide (December 25 through January 5).[4][5][6] For theRoman Catholic Church, however, Christmastide lasts longer, running through theFeast of the Baptism of the Lord.[7][8] For some, the Twelve Days are considered December 26 to January 6,[9] thus including Epiphany.
In 567, theCouncil of Tours "proclaimed the twelve days from Christmas toEpiphany (that is, through the end of 5 January, as Epiphany begins the following day) as a sacred and festive season, and established the duty ofAdvent fasting in preparation for the feast."[10][11][12][13] Christopher Hill, as well as William J. Federer, states that this was done in order to solve the "administrative problem for the Roman Empire as it tried to coordinate thesolarJulian calendar with thelunar calendars of its provinces in the east."[14][15]
TheArmenian Apostolic Church andArmenian Catholic Church celebrate the Birth and Baptism of Christ on the same day,[16] so that there is no distinction between a feast of Christmas and a feast of Epiphany.
TheOriental Orthodox (other than the Armenians), theEastern Orthodox, and theEastern Lutherans andEastern Catholics both of whom follow the same traditions have a twelve-day interval between the two feasts. Christmas and Epiphany are celebrated by these churches on 25 December and 6 January of theJulian calendar, which correspond to 7 and 19 January on the Gregorian calendar. The Twelve Days, using the Gregorian calendar, end at sunset on 18 January.
For the Eastern Orthodox, both Christmas and Epiphany are among theTwelve Great Feasts that are only second toEaster in importance.[17]
The period between Christmas and Epiphany isfast-free.[17] During this period one celebration leads into another. The Nativity of Christ is a three-day celebration: the formal title of the first day (i.e.Christmas Eve) is "The Nativity According to the Flesh of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ", and celebrates not only theNativity of Jesus, but also theAdoration of the Shepherds ofBethlehem and the arrival of theMagi; the second day is referred to as the "Synaxis of theTheotokos", and commemorates the role of theVirgin Mary in theIncarnation; the third day is known as the "Third Day of the Nativity", and is also thefeast day of theProtodeacon andProtomartyrSaint Stephen. 29 December is the Orthodox Feast of theHoly Innocents. TheAfterfeast of the Nativity (similar to the Westernoctave) continues until 31 December (that day is known as the Apodosis or "leave-taking" of the Nativity).
TheSaturday following the Nativity is commemorated by special readings from theEpistle (1 Tim 6:11–16) andGospel (Matt 12:15–21) during theDivine Liturgy. TheSunday after the Nativity has its own liturgical commemoration in honour of "The Righteous Ones:Joseph the Betrothed,David the King andJames the Brother of the Lord".
Another of the more prominent festivals that are included among the Twelve Great Feasts is that of theCircumcision of Christ on 1 January.[17] On this same day is the feast day ofSaint Basil the Great, and so the service celebrated on that day is theDivine Liturgy of Saint Basil.
On 2 January begins theForefeast of theTheophany. The Eve of the Theophany on 5 January is a day of strictfasting, on which the devout will not eat anything until the first star is seen at night. This day is known asParamony (Greek Παραμονή "Eve"), and follows the same general outline as Christmas Eve. That morning is the celebration of theRoyal Hours and then the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil combined withVespers, at the conclusion of which is celebrated theGreat Blessing of Waters, in commemoration of theBaptism of Jesus in theJordan River. There are certain parallels between thehymns chanted on Paramony and those ofGood Friday, to show that, according toOrthodox theology, the steps that Jesus took into the Jordan River were the first steps on the way to theCross. That night theAll-Night Vigil is served for the Feast of the Theophany.
Within the Twelve Days of Christmas, there are celebrations both secular and religious.
Christmas Day, counted as the first day of Christmastide in Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism, is celebrated by Christians as theliturgical feast of theNativity of the Lord.[6] It is a public holiday in many nations, including some such as India where the majority of the population is not Christian. On this see the articles onChristmas andChristmas traditions.
26 December is "Saint Stephen's Day", a feast day in theWestern Church. In theUnited Kingdom and its former colonies, it is also the secular holiday ofBoxing Day. In some parts of Ireland it is denominated "Wren Day".
27 December is theFeast of Saint John the Evangelist, while the 28 December is Childermass or the Feast of the Holy Innocents, in observance of theMassacre of the Innocents of the Nativity narrative, in whichHerod the Great, king ofJudea, orders the execution of all male children who are two years old and under in the vicinity ofBethlehem.
New Year's Eve (31 December) is the feast ofPope St. Sylvester I and is known also as "Silvester". The transition that evening to the new year is an occasion for secular festivities in many nations, and in several languages is known as "St. Sylvester Night" ("Notte di San Silvestro" in Italian, "Silvesternacht" in German, "Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre" in French, and "סילבסטר" in Hebrew). Several Christian traditions, such as Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, and Moravian churches, offer various forms ofWatchnight services, where the congregants are encouraged to review the year passed and pray for the year to come, often in connection with the celebration of Mass or the Lord's Supper.
New Year's Day (1 January) is an occasion for further secular festivities or for rest from the celebrations of the night before. In theRoman Rite of theRoman Catholic Church, it is theSolemnity of Mary, Mother of God, liturgically celebrated on theOctave Day of Christmas. It has also been celebrated, and still is in some denominations (such as Lutheranism and Anglicanism), as theFeast of the Circumcision of Christ, because according to Jewish tradition He would have been circumcised on the eighth day after His Birth, inclusively counting the first day and last day. This day, or someday proximate to it, is also celebrated by the Roman Catholics asWorld Day of Peace.[18]
In many nations, e. g., the United States, theSolemnity of Epiphany is transferred to the first Sunday after 1 January, which can occur as early as 2 January. That solemnity, then, together with customary observances associated with it, usually occur within the Twelve Days of Christmas, even if these are considered to end on 5 January rather than 6 January.
OtherRoman Catholic liturgical feasts on theGeneral Roman Calendar that occur within the Octave of Christmas and therefore also within the Twelve Days of Christmas are theFeast of St. Stephen on December 26 theFeast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist on 27 December; theFeast of the Holy Innocents on 28 December;Memorial of St. Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr on 29 December; and theFeast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph on the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas or, if there is no such Sunday, on 30 December. Outside the Octave, but within the Twelve Days of Christmas, there are the feasts of Sts.Basil the Great andGregory of Nazianzus on 2 January and theMemorial of the Holy Name of Jesus on 3 January.
Other saints are celebrated at a local level.
TheSecond Council of Tours of 567 noted that, in the area for which its bishops were responsible, the days between Christmas and Epiphany were, like the month of August, taken up entirely with saints' days. Monks were therefore in principle not bound to fast on those days.[19] However, the first three days of the year were to be days of prayer and penance so that faithful Christians would refrain from participating in the idolatrous practices and debauchery associated with the new year celebrations. TheFourth Council of Toledo (633) ordered a strict fast on those days, on the model of theLenten fast.[20][21]
_-_Twelfth-night_(The_King_Drinks)_-_WGA22083.jpg)
In England in the Middle Ages, this period was one of continuous feasting and merrymaking, which climaxed on Twelfth Night, the traditional end of theChristmas season on 5 January (the last night before Epiphany which started 6 January).William Shakespeare used it as the setting for one of his most famous stage plays,Twelfth Night. Often aLord of Misrule was chosen to lead the Christmas revels.[22]
Some of these traditions were adapted from the olderpagan customs, including theRomanSaturnalia and the GermanicYuletide.[23] Some also have an echo in modern-daypantomime where traditionally authority is mocked and the principal male lead is played by a woman, while the leading older female character, or 'Dame', is played by a man.[specify]
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Some early English colonists brought their version of the Twelve Days with them to North America, and adapted them to their new country, adding their own variations over the years. In New England, however, both the Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony and the Puritans in Massachusetts Bay frowned upon the observance of Christmas. As early as Christmas Day in 1621, Governor William Bradford "encounterd a group of people who were taking the day off from work, and he promptly sent them back to work."[24] Nissenbaum further notes that "[what] bothered the governor was that these Christmas-keepers were, in his own words, out 'gaming [and] reveling in the streets."[25][26]
One tradition, the modern-day Christmaswreath, may have originated with these colonials.[27][28] A homemade wreath would be fashioned from local greenery, and fruits, if available, were added. Making the wreaths was one of the traditions ofChristmas Eve; they would remain hung on each home's front door beginning on Christmas Night (first night of Christmas) through Twelfth Night or Epiphany morning. As was already the tradition in their native England, all decorations would be taken down by Epiphany morning and the remainder of the edibles would be consumed. A special cake, theking cake, was also baked then for Epiphany.
Many in the UK and otherCommonwealth nations still celebrate some aspects of the Twelve Days of Christmas.Boxing Day, 26 December, is a national holiday in many Commonwealth nations.Victorian era stories byCharles Dickens, and others, particularlyA Christmas Carol, hold key elements of the celebrations such as the consumption ofplum pudding, roasted goose andwassail. These foods are consumed more at the beginning of the Twelve Days in the UK.
In theWestern Christian world, the two traditional days when Christmas decorations are removed areTwelfth Night and if they are not taken down on that day,Candlemas, the latter of which ends theChristmas-Epiphany season in somedenominations.[29] Taking down Christmas decorations before Twelfth Night, as well as leaving the decorations up beyond Candlemas, is historically considered to be inauspicious. In Germany, Christmas decorations are traditionally removed on Candlemas Day.[30]
In the United States,Christmas Day is a federal holiday which holds additional religious significance for Christians.[31]
The traditions of the Twelve Days of Christmas have been nearly forgotten in the United States. Contributing factors include the popularity of the stories ofCharles Dickens in nineteenth-century America, with their emphasis on generous giving; introduction of secular traditions in the 19th and 20th centuries, e. g., the AmericanSanta Claus; and increase in the popularity of secularNew Year's Eve parties. Presently, the commercial practice treats theSolemnity of Christmas, 25 December, the first day of Christmas, as the last day of the "Christmas" marketing season, as the numerous "after-Christmas sales" that commence on 26 December demonstrate. The commercial calendar has encouraged an erroneous assumption that the Twelve Daysend on Christmas Day and must therefore begin on 14 December.[32]
Many American Christians still celebrate the traditionalliturgical seasons ofAdvent and Christmas, especiallyAmish,Anglo-Catholics,Episcopalians,Lutherans,Mennonites,Methodists,Moravians,Nazarenes,Orthodox Christians,Presbyterians, andRoman Catholics. InAnglicanism, the designation of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" is used liturgically in theEpiscopal Church in the US, having its owninvitatoryantiphon in theBook of Common Prayer forMatins.[5]
Christians who celebrate the Twelve Days may give gifts on each of them, with each of the Twelve Days representing a wish for a corresponding month of the new year. They may feast on traditional foods and otherwise celebrate the entire time through the morning of theSolemnity of Epiphany. Contemporary traditions include lighting a candle for each day, singing the verse of the corresponding day from the famousThe Twelve Days of Christmas, and lighting ayule log on Christmas Eve and letting it burn some more on each of the twelve nights. For some, theTwelfth Night remains the night of the most festive parties and exchanges of gifts. Some households exchange gifts on the first (25 December) and last (5 January) days of the Twelve Days.
January 5th: Twelfth Night or Epiphany Eve. Twelfth Night, the last evening of the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas, has been observed with festive celebration ever since the Middle Ages.
There are, in fact, twelve days between Christmas Day and the eve of the Epiphany on January 5.
The Twelve Days of Christmas ... in most of the Western Church are the twelve days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25th until January 5th). In some traditions, the first day of Christmas begins on the evening of December 25th with the following day considered the First Day of Christmas (December 26th). In these traditions, the twelve days begin December 26[th] and include Epiphany on January 6[th].
On the Twelve Days of Christmas Alleluia. Unto us a child is born: O come, let us adore Him. Alleluia.
As with the Easter cycle, churches today celebrate the Christmas cycle in different ways. Practically all Protestants observe Christmas itself, with services on 25 December or the evening before. Anglicans, Lutherans and other churches that use the ecumenicalRevised Common Lectionary will likely observe the four Sundays of Advent, maintaining the ancient emphasis on the eschatological (First Sunday), ascetic (Second and Third Sundays), and scriptural/historical (Fourth Sunday). Besides Christmas Eve/Day, they will observe a 12-dayseason of Christmas from 25 December to 5 January.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)The Council of Tours (567) proclaimed the twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany as a sacred and festive season, and established the duty of Advent fasting in preparation for the feast. The Council of Braga (563) forbade fasting on Christmas Day.
Around the year 400 the feasts of St Stephen, John the Evangelist and the Holy Innocents were added on succeeding days, and in 567 the Council of Tours ratified the enduring 12-day cycle between the nativity and the epiphany.
In the year 567 the church council of Tours called the 13 days between December 25 and January 6 a festival season.
The Second Council of Tours (can. xi, xvii) proclaims, in 566 or 567, the sanctity of the "twelve days" from Christmas to Epiphany, and the duty of Advent fast; ...and that of Braga (563) forbids fasting on Christmas Day. Popular merry-making, however, so increased that the "Laws of King Cnut", fabricated c. 1110, order a fast from Christmas to Epiphany.
The Council of Tours (567) decreed the 12 days from Christmas to Epiphany to be sacred and especially joyous, thus setting the stage for the celebration of the Lord's birth...
This arrangement became an administrative problem for the Roman Empire as it tried to coordinate the solar Julian calendar with the lunar calendars of its provinces in the east. While the Romans could roughly match the months in the two systems, the four cardinal points of the solar year--the two equinoxes and solstices--still fell on different dates. By the time of the first century, the calendar date of the winter solstice in Egypt and Palestine was eleven to twelve days later than the date in Rome. As a result the Incarnation came to be celebrated on different days in different parts of the Empire. The Western Church, in its desire to be universal, eventually took them both--one became Christmas, one Epiphany--with a resulting twelve days in between. Over time this hiatus became invested with specific Christian meaning. The Church gradually filled these days with saints, some connected to the birth narratives in Gospels (Holy Innocents' Day, December 28, in honor of the infants slaughtered by Herod; St. John the Evangelist, "the Beloved," December 27; St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, December 26; the Holy Family, December 31; the Virgin Mary, January 1). In 567, the Council of Tours declared the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany to become one unified festal cycle.
In 567 AD, the Council of Tours ended a dispute. Western Europe celebrated Christmas, 25 December, as the holiest day of the season... but Eastern Europe celebrated Epiphany, 6 January, recalling the Wise Men's visit and Jesus' baptism. It could not be decided which day was holier, so the Council made all 12 days from 25 December to 6 January "holy days" or "holidays," These became known as "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
Western Europe celebrated Christmas December 25 as the holiest day. Eastern Europe celebrated January 6 the Epiphany, the visit of the Wise Men, as the holiest day... and so they had this council and they decided to make all twelve days from December 25 to January 6 the Twelve Days of Christmas.
De Decembri usque ad natale Domini, omni die ieiunent. Et quia inter natale Domini et epiphania omni die festivitates sunt, itemque prandebunt. Excipitur triduum illud, quo ad calcandam gentilium consuetudinem, patres nostri statuerunt privatas in Kalendariis Ianuarii fieri litanias, ut in ecclesiis psallatur, et hora octava in ipsis Kalendis Circumcisionis missa Deo propitio celebretur. (Translation: "In December until Christmas, they are to fast each day. Since between Christmas and Epiphany there are feasts on each day, they shall have a full meal, except during the three-day period on which, in order to tread Gentile customs down, our fathers established that private litanies for theCalends of January be chanted in the churches, and that on the Calends itselfMass of theCircumcision be celebrated at the eighth hour for God's favour.")
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Bartleby.comAny Christmas decorations not taken down by Twelfth Night (January 5th) should be left up until Candlemas Day and then taken down.
According to the tradition of the 12 days of Christmas (explained above), January 6 is the earliest you should be taking down your Christmas tree. According to the legend, bad luck will befall those who stop the Christmas cheer any earlier.
Christmas is a major holiday for Christians, although some non-Christians in the United States also mark the day as a holiday.
