What are the Twelve Days of Christmas?

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The twelve days of Christmas, also called Christmastide, start on the evening of Christmas Day and end on the morning of Epiphany (January 6th).

The Feast of Epiphany appears to have been established very early in the Church with St. Clement of Alexandria mentioning its celebration on January 6th in the third century.

While the date of Christmas moved many times in the early Church, by the 300's all calendars in the Western Church marked the date as December 25th.

During the Middle Ages the twelve days of Christmas were considered a time for celebration culminating with Twelfth Night which became the subject of one of Shakespeare's plays.

In the United States it appears that the custom of making Christmas wreaths developed with the wreath being made on Christmas Day and then hung on the front door until Epiphany.

The various feasts celebrated during the Twelve Days of Christmas include:

  • Christmas (December 25th)
  • St. Stephen (December 26th) - celebrated in the UK as Boxing Day.
  • St. John the Evangelist (December 27th)
  • Holy Innocents (December 28th)
  • St. Thomas Beckett (December 29th)
  • Holy Family (December 30th)
  • St. Sylvester (December 31st)
  • Solemnity of Mary (January 1st) - formerly the Feast of the Circumcision
  • St. Basil (January 2nd)
  • Holy Name of Jesus (January 3rd)
  • St. Elizabeth Anne Seton (January 4th) - in the United States
  • St. John Neumann (January 5th) - in the United States
  • Epiphany (January 6th) - moved to the nearest Sunday in some countries

It is traditionally considered bad luck to take down your ornaments and tree after Epiphany but you can avoid any such problems by keeping your ornaments and tree up until the following Christmas. You may end up experiencing the Johnny Cash spoof "Burning Tree of Fire" if you do, though.

 
Bookmark and Share
Printer-Friendly Version
Patron Saint List: A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z 
Find a Registry
Find a Wish List

My Cart

1-Oplatki Chri $10.00
1-Gold 50th An $25.50
1-Genesis $18.95
1-Don't Trust $11.95
1-Pieta Fine A $349.95
1-Flagellation $89.95
1-Pieta Fine A $219.95
1-First Commun $12.00
1-Great High P $11.95
1-Great High P $21.95
1-Our Life In $7.95
1-Prayers To T $2.00
1-Stories Of K $14.95
1-Our Life In $39.95
1-Hungry Souls $12.95
1-You Shall No $0.31
1-Las Posadas $1.95
1-Our Lady of $27.95
1-Flagellation $219.95
1-Jesus Speaks $12.95
1-Feasts of Je $2.00
1-Baroque Styl $246.95
1-Heretics $14.95
1-Our Life In $12.95
1-Flagellation $349.95
1-Flagellation $52.95
1-Our Lady of $40.75
1-Pieta Fine A $112.95
1-Flagellation $112.95
1-Scapular T-S $18.00
1-How to Serve $12.50
1-St. John Ber $38.50
1-Awakening $14.95
1-St. Denise R $22.00
1-Understandin $10.00
1-Mother Of Di $18.75
1-Theology of $12.99
1-Christmas Cl $40.78
1-The Splendor $29.95
1-Magnificat M $79.95
1-Xtreme Papa $28.00
1-Christmas wi $17.95
1-St. Damien o $0.75
1-Peter on the $9.95
1-Scapular T-S $18.00
1-The Odyssey $13.99
1-Picture Book $9.95
1-O Lux Beatis $16.99
1-Oplatki Chri $5.99
1-Scapular T-S $21.00
1-The Iliad of $14.00
1-Pope John Pa $5.95
1-Art of Marri $35.99
1-St. John Via $39.95
1-The Young Pe $14.95
1-Angel Fine A $349.95
1-Jesus of Naz $60.00
1-Magnifikid! $34.90
1-Wedding at C $21.95
1-Catechism Of $8.99
1-2010 Divine $9.00
1-St. Francis $42.95
1-Marriage Ins $42.92
1-Catholic War $8.00
1-Catholic War $8.00
1-St. Francis $424.95
1-Catherine of $16.95
1-Our Lady of $136.95
1-Oxford Latin $21.95
1-2010 Ordo Lo $14.95
1-Jesse Tree O $8.00
1-Pure Manhood $2.95
1-Haec Dies Po $3.25
1-St. John Via $19.95
1-Puer Natus E $2.50
1-Black Neckba $49.95
1-Orthodoxy $18.95
1-Hospitality $9.95
1-Our Moral Li $30.00
1-2010 Catholi $30.95
1-Gold Arra Co $8.25
1-Our Lady of $136.95
1-November 200 $5.95
1-Marriage Ble $35.99
1-2010 Saints $15.00
1-Knowing Your $3.95
1-Douay-Rheims $69.95
1-A Latin Amer $16.99
1-The Last Sec $21.95
1-El Año de Gr $12.00
1-2010 Liturgi $16.95
1-Irish Shamro $50.00
1-Our Lady of $82.00
1-Douay-Rheims $69.95
1-Black Wood B $16.95
1-Boy's First $21.50
1-Saint Anthon $2.00
1-Psallite Sap $13.50
1-Navy Pacer R $7.95
1-Angels - Pur $45.99
1-El Año de Gr $15.00
1-Our Lady of $18.95
1-Music in Cat $19.00
1-The Divine M $9.99
1-Loitering wi $13.95
1-Hayes and Fi $150.00
1-Simple-Etche $699.00
1-St. Maximill $54.95
1-Turquoise Ce $9.95
1-Lourdes Pewt $44.50
1-San Damiano $37.75
1-St. Therese $14.95
1-Complete Spi $19.95
1-Roguemos al $51.95
1-Bernadette ( $19.95
1-Peaceful Aft $17.50
1-The Bachelor $12.95
1-December 200 $5.95
1-Let's Read L $30.00
1-My Vocation $15.00
1-The Ten Comm $2.00
1-The Shorter $19.95
1-2010 Mary an $9.00
1-U.S. Army Pr $9.95
1-Unabridged C $14.95
1-St Peregrine $1.00
1-Our Lady of $25.95
1-Para LLevar $3.95
1-Our Lady of $13.95
1-Army Pacer R $7.95
1-San Damiano $77.50
1-Dawn of the $10.99
1-Robinson Cru $5.95
1-Prinknash Ab $29.95
1-Essence of P $15.95
1-San Damiano $501.00
1-Theology Of $39.95
1-Chant Classi $41.95
1-Amazing Grac $75.95
1-Pewter Baby $15.75
1-Kissing the $29.95
1-Simple-Etche $51.00
1-A Beginner's $9.95
1-Ratzinger's $17.95
1-Our Moral Li $12.00
1-D'Aulaires' $18.95
1-Our Lady of $23.95
1-Diciembre 20 $5.95
1-Navy Wearabl $9.95
1-Great High P $48.95
1-The Miracle $20.00
1-Saint Thomas $12.95
1-Preparing fo $2.50
1-Confessions $10.95
1-Wood Bead Ro $21.95
1-First Holy C $21.95
1-Marines Pace $8.95
1-Ritual del M $39.95
1-Quo Vadis? $19.95
1-Our Father i $75.95
1-Pray For Our $6.00
1-Doers of the $9.95
1-Hayes and Fi $150.00
1-St. Paul Pre $112.95
1-2010 Ordo Bo $14.95
1-Pride and Pr $4.95
1-Olivia and t $10.95
1-White Cloiso $119.99
1-El Año de Gr $4.00
1-Air Force Pa $7.95
1-Secular Sabo $21.99
1-Octubre 2009 $5.95
1-St. John Via $12.00
1-Saint Theres $14.95
1-Para Entende $4.95
1-The Way $9.95
1-Bach for Cat $7.00
1-Scapular T-S $18.00
1-Trappist Inc $29.95
1-Latin - Engl $5.50
1-Catholic Dic $2.00
1-Macbeth $3.95
1-The Icon Boo $10.00
1-San Damiano $54.00
1-U.S. Air For $9.95
1-Called to Lo $24.00
1-Gold Filled $56.95
1-Catholic 1,2 $2.00
1-Descent From $349.95
1-Into the Hea $19.95
1-The Gargoyle $11.95
1-Our Father i $75.95
1-The Finishin $12.95
1-White Glass $54.95
1-Stainless 24 $5.95
1-Merry Christ $16.99
1-A Song for N $16.95
1-Liturgia de $23.95
1-Little Offic $14.95
1-Jujube Wood $36.95
1-God's Plan f $9.95
1-Into the Hea $24.95
1-St. Paul Pre $349.95
1-Primer for t $2.00
1-Our Lady of $19.95
1-Water from F $4.00
1-Murder in th $8.00
1-Anniversary $29.25
1-Catholic ABC $2.00
1-Black Onyx C $9.95
1-San Damiano $29.50
1-The Our Fath $2.00

Subtotal: $9,160.12



HACKER SAFE certified sites prevent over 99.9% of hacker crime.


Site-wide Bestsellers
(30 Day List)
2010 New St. Joseph Sunday Missal and Hymnal
2010 New St. Joseph Sunday Missal and Hymnal

Oplatki Christmas Wafers (Oplatek)
Oplatki Christmas Wafers (Oplatek)

Magnificat Advent Companion 2009
Magnificat Advent Companion 2009

First Christmas Coloring Book
The First Christmas Coloring Book

5 Ribbon Chi Rho Bookmark
5 Ribbon Chi Rho Bookmark

Magnificat Year for Priests Companion
Magnificat Year for Priests Companion

Magnificat Magazine 1 Year Subscription
Magnificat Magazine 1 Year Subscription


Magnificat 165 100


Free Clergy Shirt 165 x 100


Special Features

Information

Specialty Stores

Brother Knight In The Knights of Columbus

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Checks, Money Orders and Paypal.
 More Options
If you would like to place your order over the phone or have any questions about the site,
please call (719)495-7493 or toll-free, (866)428-2820.


By using our site you agree to our terms of use.
All content copyright 2009.