12 days of Christmas

In Christian theology, the 12 Days Of Christmas runs from 25 December (the birth of Jesus) until January 6 (Epiphany). What are the celebrations of the 12 Days?  On the first day of Christmas…

We all know the popular Christmas song, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, with its ‘partridge in a pear tree’ and ‘Five gold rings!’, but which ones are the twelve days of Christmas? They don’t match up with our 24-day advent calendars, so where do they come from? Are they just made up for the song?

The answer is no! The original twelve days of Christmas were a series of religious feast days celebrated as part of the Roman Catholic religion in medieval and Tudor England. Starting on Christmas Day, there were 12 days of religious celebrations, feasting and entertainments that lasted all the way up to 5 January.*

In the Roman Catholic tradition, English Heritage says many Tudor people would celebrate:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.”                    *Source English Heritage