Christmas didn’t sneak up on me this year ― it pounced on me out of nowhere, making me feel pretty unprepared.
Still, I told myself this morning, I have one more day until what I thought were the 12 days of Christmas ― I believed they were the dozen in the lead-up to the day itself ― start.
Many of you will know I’m wrong about the timing (turns out getting most of your information from a song about maids a’milking doesn’t exactly ensure the highest level of expertise).
The 12 days actually starts on Christmas Day. But why ― and what do the intervals actually mean, if they have nothing to do with partridges and pear trees?
The 12 Days start on Christmas and have to do with the Wise Men
Turns out I was confusing the 12 days with Advent ― that’s the four weeks before Christmas.
In Christian theology, the 12 Days Of Christmas runs from 25 December (the birth of Jesus) ’til January 6 (Epiphany).
Epiphany is also called Three Kings Day because that’s the day the Magi (the three wise men) meet Jesus according to Christian beliefs.
That’s why people traditionally take their Christmas decorations down on that day.
History site English Heritage writes that “Tudor people fasted for four weeks leading up to it. They also fasted on Christmas Eve.”
They added that historically everyone ― including peasants ― took the time off work.
“Because people were not meant to work over Christmas, women would decorate household items like spinning wheels, so that they would be unable to use them until after the 12 days,” they added.
What are the celebrations of the 12 Days?
In the Roman Catholic tradition, English Heritage says many Tudor people would celebrate:
Christmas Eve (24 December)
On this day, people fasted to prepare for Christmas and decorated their homes with greenery like holly and mistletoe, symbols of eternal life.Christmas Day (25 December)
Celebrations began with Midnight Mass, followed by a grand feast. The rich enjoyed meats like boar and venison, while poorer families had goose. Plum porridge, pies, and mince pies were festive staples.The Feast of St. Stephen (26 December)
A day for charity, churches opened alms boxes to help the poor. St. Stephen, remembered for aiding the needy, inspired traditions of giving that echoed in later songs like Good King Wenceslas.The Feast of St. John (27 December)
People celebrated St. John by drinking wine, ale, or “Lambs Wool,” a spiced ale with apples. Wassailing, where groups toasted each other with communal drinks, was a popular tradition for all classes.Childermas (28 December)
This day commemorated King Herod’s massacre of children in Bethlehem. Tudor children were playfully put in charge of their households, and choir boys acting as “Boy Bishops” led church services.New Year’s Eve (31 December)
A day of games and sports, including archery on the frozen Thames during the “Little Ice Age.” The festive atmosphere featured parlour games like Blind Man’s Buff, enjoyed by rich and poor alike.New Year’s Day (1 January)
Gift-giving was central to this day, with nobles presenting extravagant items to the king or queen. Monarchs reciprocated generously, as Henry VIII famously did with lavish gifts to his court.Twelfth Night (5 January)
The last day of Christmas was marked by feasts, plays, and games. Twelfth Night cakes were baked with hidden beans or coins, crowning lucky finders as the evening’s “king” or “queen.”