January 4th 2025.
Twelfth Night is almost here, and with it comes the tradition of taking down Christmas decorations. Some people take them down right away, while others leave them up for months. But did you know there is actually a centuries-long tradition that dictates when you should officially un-deck those halls? It's a simple rule: take down your tree 12 days after Christmas. While this may just be a schedule for some, for Christians it holds a deeper meaning as it marks the festival of Twelfth Night and the start of Epiphany.
So when exactly is Twelfth Night? Well, it falls on the twelfth and final night of the 12 days of Christmas, which is tomorrow, January 5. This is followed by Epiphany on January 6 and Candlemas on February 2. Many people choose to pack away their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night, but what exactly is the significance of this day?
Twelfth Night is a Christian celebration that marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas and the start of Epiphany. For Christians, Epiphany is the day when the Three Wise Men visited the baby Jesus, and it is considered to be the end of the Christmas season. This tradition has been a part of Christmas celebrations for centuries, dating back to 597AD. During the early Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Council of Tours declared that the 12 days following Christmas should be filled with feasting and festivities, which continued until Queen Victoria's reign in 1603.
In the Tudor era, it was common to keep Christmas decorations up until Candlemas, but Queen Victoria's removal of the holiday from the calendar may have led to the tradition of taking them down on Twelfth Night. It was believed that it was unlucky to keep decorations up after this date, and the Victorians wanted people to be back at work by then.
Today, while less common, some people still celebrate Twelfth Night with a feast and traditional food and drink, such as wassail and a King Cake. This cake, often decorated with sugar and almond paste, would have a bean baked into it, and whoever found the bean in their slice would be crowned "king" for a day. In fact, actors performing at London's Drury Lane Theatre on Twelfth Night are still served a slice of this cake, along with some rum, in honor of actor Robert Baddeley's will, which stated that the cake and punch should be enjoyed by the company working at the theatre on January 6.
Other Twelfth Night traditions include singing carols and writing a message above your front door in chalk to bless your home. But the most common tradition of all is the belief that it is bad luck to leave your decorations up after Twelfth Night, and many people choose to take them down on this day.
So as we approach Twelfth Night, remember the centuries-old tradition and take down your decorations with a sense of history and celebration. This article was first published on January 2, 2024. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing us at [email address]. Wishing you a happy Twelfth Night and a joyful start to the new year!
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
