The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Twelvetide, is a festive Christian season celebrating the Nativity of Jesus. In the Western ecclesiastical traditions, "Christmas Day" is considered the "First Day of Christmas" and the Twelve Days are 25 December – 5 January, inclusive, with the last day being Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve). For many Christian denominations—for example, the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Church—the Twelve Days are identical to Christmastide, but for others, e.g., the Roman Catholic Church, Christmastide lasts longer than the Twelve Days of Christmas, running through the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Other methods of counting mark the twelve days from December 26 to January 6.
History
In 567, the Council of Tours "proclaimed the twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany (that is, through the end of 5 January, as Epiphany begins the following day) as a sacred and festive season, and established the duty of Advent fasting in preparation for the feast." Christopher Hill, as well as William...
Amy Edge :toad:
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