The Origins of the Twelve Days of Christmas

The Origins of the 12 Days of Christmas 

 

The 12 Days of Christmas are famous as a song about someone receiving lots of presents from their "true love". 

The true story of the twelve days of Christmas is very old.  People celebrated the twelve days of Christmas before the middle ages.  They started on Christmas Day and ended on the 5th January.  People called the 5th January, "Twelfth Night". 

Each day celebrated the feast day of a saint.  On Twelfth Night, people had big parties.  They ate cake made with eggs, butter, fruit, nuts and spices.  The Italian Panettone is similar to this cake.  People also played games and different musical instruments. 

Another name for Twelfth Night is Epiphany Eve.  In many countries, people put figures of the Three Wise Men or the Three Kings into a Nativity Scene.  Then they celebrate Epiphany on the 6th January. 

It is traditional in many places to take down Christmas decorations and put them away on this day.

Adapted from the following article: The Twelve Days of Christmas

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