Christmas Day, December 25, is often just the beginning of many people’s holiday celebrations, which continue through Twelfth Night, January 1.
Although December 25 is the day most of the world celebrates Christmas, for many people this is merely the start of the twelve days leading up to Twelfth Night.
The celebration gives its name to the well-known Christmas carol with 12 verses, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Everything you need to know about the holiday is right here, from the various dates on which it is celebrated to the history of the Christmas tree and the famous play written by William Shakespeare.
When does Twelfth Night (Holiday) occur this year?
Twelfth Night (Holiday) can be celebrated on either January 5th or 6th, according to various Christian traditions. This variation in date is based on how the 12 days of Christmas are counted.
While some people begin counting the 12 days of Christmas on Boxing Day, others consider Christmas Day to be the “first day,” which would move Twelfth Night up in the calendar.
There’s also the question of whether Twelfth Night ends on the evening of the 12th day after Christmas, or if it actually occurs the evening before Christmas.
English professor at the University of Exeter Nick Groom comes to this conclusion: “Twelfth Night is Twelfth Day’s Eve – we still talk about Christmas Eve as being Christmas Night.”
The arrival of the Epiphany, a Christian feast celebrated on January 6 with varying significance depending on one’s denomination, is also commonly associated with the celebration.
It was first observed in the Eastern Christian tradition of commemorating Jesus’s birth and baptism. The Western Church began celebrating it as the day the Magi followed the star to find Jesus in the fourth century.
If that’s the case, then why do people put away their Christmas decorations?
Well, taking down Christmas trees and decorations on Twelfth Night or Epiphany is a common practice to ensure a prosperous new year.
Professor Groom traces the origins of the present notion to the Victorian era: “It was primarily the Victorians who determined that Christmas decorations should be put down after 12 days because they intended to get everybody to work.”
In the nineteenth century, it was officially designated as the Christmas season.
As a matter of fact, the Tudors’ celebrations typically lasted until the first of February before they were abruptly cut short.
This was the evening before Candlemas, a Christian celebration honoring the day Jesus was presented to God in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Why does this have anything to do with Shakespeare’s play?
Twelfth Night is traditionally associated with parties and celebrations, as well as the singing of Christmas songs and going to church.
During Shakespeare’s time, this would have been a very festive event full of music, masquerade balls, and mayhem.
It was in this environment that Shakespeare penned Twelfth Night (or What You Will), the famous comedy about the inseparable twins Viola and Sebastian.
While it was originally documented on Candlemas 1602, many people think it was performed the year prior on Twelfth Night.