WHICH 12 DAYS OF WHAT?
I grew up celebrating a traditional holiday season, which gave a passing nod to The Twelve Days of Christmas, in that we had to take all the decorations down on the 6th of January, the feast of the Epiphany when the Magi arrived to pay homage to the infant Jesus, who was still in the stable...
Lucy Worsley did a wonderful history series on how these 12 days were celebrated in Tudor times, but apart from the iconic song, most of us ignore it and return to the ordinary realm of our lives soon after 26th December.
And then, this year, I realized that many people celebrate a different twelve days, Yuletide, running from 25th December to January 1st, which is based on older Saxon and roman traditions which predated Christianity.
The Christian date of Jesus's birth was apparently not fixed until 336AD hen the roman Emperor Constantine made that decree, possibly since the romans already held the feast of Saturnalia around that date.
If you are interested in more of the history, I can recommend these posts:
If you are more in the mood for relaxation and a laugh, here is the funniest version of the traditional song that I have come across.
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