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Who doesn't love Christmas – the food, family gatherings, decorations, cheesy Christmas movies, and just the overall joy of giving gifts? But after the 25th, Christmas is just... done. Holiday gatherings are over, gifts are put away, Christmas music is turned off, and the decor doesn't have the same charm it did only a day earlier.
Generally, December 26th is seen as any ordinary day, back to the normal routine. But not so very long ago, December 26th was not the end of Christmas at all. In fact, it was just the beginning! Early Catholics used to celebrate Christmas all the way to Epiphany, or January 6th. In fact, many Catholics, to this day, still don’t take their Christmas decorations down until Epiphany. After all, it’s called the “Christmas season,” right? A season is more than one day! You see, the Twelve Days of Christmas originally started on December 25th. The second day was December 26th, and so on until the eve of Epiphany, or January 5th, the final day, also known as the “twelfth day.” Epiphany is the day that Christians used to celebrate the wise men visiting baby Jesus. It is tradition on the eve of Epiphany to place figures of the Three Kings into the Nativity Scene to prepare for the celebration of Epiphany on the following day.
In the last hundred years or so, the Twelve Days of Christmas got lost to history. Still, evidence of the celebration still exists. I am sure you’ve all heard the terrible Christmas song The 12 Days of Christmas. It’s a very, very annoying song (especially when the Muppets sing it) commemorating each day of Christmas.
There’s another lesser-known, much more charming Christmas carol that references the 12 Days of Christmas in a subtler way. Ever heard the song Good King Wenceslas? The first line of the song goes like this:
Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen. When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even.
The Feast of Stephen was the 2nd day of Christmas, also known as December 26th.
Another famous carol that celebrates the Twelve Days of Christmas is Here We Come A-Wassailing. (Just for fun, you can listen to it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CeQBbUKgSI )
Unfortunately, celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas has pretty well been lost in the modern era… but maybe we should bring them back! Because, (1.) the 12 Days of Christmas are Christian holidays; any excuse we get to celebrate Jesus should be taken, (2.) Christian history is fun to learn about and recreate, and (3.) Christmas is too short as it is.
The History of Each Day
Before I dive in to how we can celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas this year, let’s learn more about the history of each day:
Day 1 – December 25 – Christmas Day – The day of Jesus’s birth.
Day 2 – December 26 – St. Stephen’s Day, (or Boxing Day) – Stephen was known for his charity for the poor. He became the first Christian martyr. Acts 6-7.
Day 3 – December 27 – St. John the Apostle Day – the writer of the Gospel of John.
Day 4 – December 28 – Feast of the Holy Innocents – a day to remember the innocent boys that died under King Harod when he searched for baby Jesus.
Day 5 – December 29 – St. Thomas Becket Day – St. Thomas Becket was a former Archbishop of Canterbury. He was martyred in the twelfth century for challenging King Henry II’s authority over the church.
Day 6 – December 30 – St. Egwin of Worcester Day – St. Egwin was a Benedictine monk known as a protector of orphans and the widowed.
Day 7 – December 31 – New Year’s Eve – New Year’s Eve is in honor of Sylvester I. He served as pope in the 4th century. According to legend, Pope Sylvester converted the first Roman emperor Constantine to Christianity. Traditionally, New Years Eve is a day dedicated to games and celebration.
Day 8 – January 1 – New Year’s Day – this is a day of feasting dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. This was the traditional day to give Christmas gifts.
Day 9 – January 2 – St. Gregory and St. Basil Day – They founded one of the first Monasteries and wrote the Nicene-Creed - a way of explaining the Christian faith, still used by Catholics today.
Day 10 – January 3 – Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus – this day commemorates the naming and circumcision of Jesus in the Temple.
Day 11 – January 4 – St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Day – This day is dedicated to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint.
Day 12 – January 5 – Twelfth Night – This marks the Eve of Epiphany.
Day 13 – January 6 – The Epiphany – This marks the end of the Christmas season. This is the day that Christmas festivities end and decorations come down. The Epiphany also marks the day that the Wise Men came to see the baby Jesus.
Modernizing the Twelve Days Celebration
Now that we have the traditional breakdown of each day of Christmas, how do we Protestants celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas, making them God-honoring and festive for the family? Here’s a few ideas:
Every day of Christmas, move the wise men figurines a little closer to the nativity scene in your house.
Spread out gift giving. Give your kids or spouse one gift for each day of Christmas.
Read a little bit of the biblical Christmas story each day of Christmas.
Listen to Christmas worship music the entire season.
Just for fun, find old recipes from Christmas past and recreate them.
If you want some more in-depth ideas of what to do for some of the days, take a look:
Day 1 – December 25 – Christmas Day – Celebrate the day by sharing a meal, opening Christmas stockings, watching a cheesy Christmas movie, and reading Luke 2:1-21 and Matthew 1:18-25.
Day 2 – December 26 – St. Stephen’s Day, (or Boxing Day) – Read the story of Stephen found in Acts 6-8:1 with your family. Since this is the traditional day of “goodwill to fellow man,” this is an excellent time to donate to a Christian organization (like Samaritans’ Purse.)
Day 3 – December 27 – St. John the Apostle Day – Read John chapter 1 as you share a meal with your family. This chapter describes the Divine nature of Jesus.
Day 4 – December 28 – Feast of the Holy Innocents – Read Matthew 2, the chapter that describes the evils of King Herod. After reading, take time to pray with your family for the leaders of your country, and the innocents around the world who are being persecuted because of evil leaders.
Day 5 – December 29 – St. Thomas Becket Day – St. Thomas Becket was a famous martyr, who stood up for the faith even during persecution. To commemorate this day, read Hebrews 10:19-39, which talks about persevering through persecution. Then take time praying for those being persecuted for the faith around the world.
Day 7 – December 31 – New Year’s Eve – New Year’s Eve is a day of celebration and thankfulness. Write down everything you were blessed with throughout the year, then give a prayer of thankfulness to God for those blessings on your family. Stay up late enjoying Christmas music, movies, and games. Make sure to kiss those you love at midnight!
Day 8 – January 1 – New Year’s Day – New Year’s Day used to be the traditional day to give Christmas gifts in the past, so have your family open another gift. Take time to thank God for the past year and spend time with your family picking a personal Bible verse that you will dedicate to implementing for the upcoming year.
Day 10 – January 3 – Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus – This day commemorates the naming and circumcision of Jesus in the temple. Read Luke 2:22-40 with your family. Spend time praying for the missionaries around the globe who are risking their lives spreading the name of Jesus to the world.
Day 12 – January 5 – Twelfth Night – This day was a huge day of spreading cheer to the people you love. Make desserts and give them out to your friends and family members. Put the wise men in the manger scene. Play games and have fun. Then read the story of the wise men in Matthew 2. You could also make some wassail, the traditional spiced drink of Epiphany. (Don’t worry, this is the non-alcoholic version for the whole family!) https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/hot-wassail/
Though Christmas day is over, Christmas season doesn’t have to be! Make the most of it this year. Celebrate the birth of Jesus a little deeper as you recreate a beautiful tradition lost to history.
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