Christmas Day is over, but thanks to the tradition of Twelvetide (aka Christmastide), Christmas celebrations won’t cease until almost a week after New Year’s Day.
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By this time of year, everyone is properly tired of the multiple versions of the Christmas carol “Twelve Days of Christmas,” but the real Twelve Days are a time for celebration, remembrance, family, and community. They run from Dec. 25 to Jan 5, just before the season ends with Epiphany on Jan. 6.
There is one big bonus of these days in the Easter Orthodox practices, at least. Unlike the fasting of the Lenten season, this is a “fast-free” time, and twelve days of feasting are welcome.
Here’s a brief rundown of the days preceded by this quick disclaimer that there are different feast days and calendars that may mix these up a bit. Your Twelvetide may be different than mine. That’s okay. The world is big enough for everyone’s own Twelvetide schedule.
First Day: Christmas Day starts the ball rolling with the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Celebrate as you wish, if you do observe Christmas. If you don’t know how to celebrate Christmas, I can’t help you.
Second Day: The Commonwealth countries celebrate Boxing Day, on Dec. 26 the current post-Christmas buying spree that was traditionally when you gave a day off and gifts to your servants. The Second Day of Christmas is actually the feast day of Christian martyr Saint Stephen. He was the Patron Saint of horses, so the day is often celebrated with sleigh rides in small towns and rural areas. My Irish peeps take it further with a Mummer festival complete with straw-covered “Wren Boys.”
Remember the lyrics “Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen.” That would be Dec. 26.
Third Day: The Feast Day of St. John the Apostle, known for writing the Book of Revelation. There are several different feast days for him, depending on the church. Feast!
Fourth Day: Childermas. This is one of the more somber remembrances, as it remembers the Holy Innocents, the baby boys Herod had massacred looking for Jesus. Some places call it “Innocents Day.” Gifts are given to children. In some regions, like Latin America, it is a day where kids can play pranks and get away without punishment. How can you be mad at the “innocent” kid? I’m not gonna lie. If I could have had a day to prank grown ups as a kid with no punishment, that would have rocked.
Fifth Day: Another feast day! This one is for St. Thomas Becket, a martyred Archbishop of Canterbury. He was killed on Dec. 29, so you get to challenge the king’s authority on the church. Exactly how is up to you. I’m a little fuzzy on this one.
Sixth Day: Let’s feast again, for St. Egwin of Worcester. He was known as a protector of orphans and widows. Good dude.
Seventh Day: New Year’s Eve, of course, so let the party happen. Also, in terms of Twelvetide observances, give a special shoutout on this day to Pope Sylvester I. Some countries in Eastern Europe remember him well, as New Year’s Eve is called “Silvester.”
Eighth Day: New Year’s Day and celebration of the ever-wonderful mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, Mary. Don’t forget to feast.
Some places celebrate New Year’s as a feast day celebrating the circumcision of baby Jesus, but I’m just gonna toss that one out there and leave it.
Ninth Day: This is a feast day two-fer celebrating St. Basil and St. Gregory. Have a second plate to cover both. That’s not official, but it could be.
Tenth Day: Celebrating the Day Jesus was named in the temple. I’m going to guess we feast!
Eleventh Day: Feast Day of St. Simeon, or Simeon the Stylite. This is the guy who lived way up on a pillar near Aleppo for 37 years. Crawl up on a high stool and feast.
Twelfth Day: This is the big one, the Eve of Epiphany is Twelfth Night. Yes, this is the feast referred to in the Shakespeare play. Bring in friends and family, dance, eat, bless your home, and bust out the King Cake, if you’re not saving it for Epiphany. In some cultures, it is unlucky to leave decorations up after this day, so it’s a good timer of when to take down that tree.
There you have it, twelve more simple things to celebrate and remember…and feast!
As the remainder as this season winds down, and when next year’s rolls around, you’ll know the true meaning of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
However, if you did add up the gifts of the song, you’d be stuck with 23 birds, 50 uninvited (and noisy) houseguests, eight bovines, five golden rings fit for dumping in the midst of Mordor, and one nice little tree for planting.
Keep the tree and rings.