January 2nd 2024.
Twelfth Night is almost upon us. We have officially reached the end of another year, and those who follow Christianity are still celebrating the 12 days of Christmas. Twelfth Night and Epiphany are the last two days of the festive period, and for some, it marks the day to take down their decorations and pack away the tree. But for others, it's a much bigger deal.
So when is Twelfth Night? The festive period began on December 25th, Christmas Day, and Twelfth Night takes place on the twelfth and final night of the 12 days of Christmas on January 5th. Epiphany is the following day, and Candlemas isn't until February 2nd. Many people will use Twelfth Night to pack away their decorations, although some choose to keep them up until Candlemas.
Twelfth Night is a Christian celebration that dates back to medieval times, and is also known as Epiphany Eve. This night is often celebrated with a feast, and includes a punch known as wassail and a cake called a King Cake. The King Cake was traditionally leavened with yeast and was elaborately decorated with sugar and almond pastes. Today it has been replaced by many with either a Christmas cake or Christmas pudding.
Other traditions of Twelfth Night include singing carols, and writing a message above your front door in chalk to bless your home. This year the message will be ’20 = C = M + B 24’, which are the initials of the three wise men and also an abbreviated form of the Latin phrase ‘Christus mansionem benedictat’, meaning ‘May Christ bless the house’. This message also marks the current year, 2024, while the plus symbols represent a cross.
Although it's considered bad luck to leave your decorations up after Twelfth Night, not everyone believes this and some people choose to keep them up until Candlemas. No matter how you decide to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, Twelfth Night marks the end of the festive season before the New Year begins.
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