Mary Lourdes Bonnici MBA

  The Twelve Days of Christmas — History, Meaning and Tradition Day 64 of the Christmas Countdown From Christmas Day to Twelfth Night: faith, festivity, folklore, music and the changing calendar Mary Lourdes Bonnici MBA | Learning • Knowledge • Growth Introduction For many people Christmas seems to finish when the presents are opened on 25 December. Historically, however, Christmas Day marked the beginning of an extended season. The Twelve Days of Christmas connect worship, hospitality, visiting, music, shared food, seasonal games and the anticipation of Epiphany. They also survive in the remarkably memorable cumulative song in which a mysterious true love offers an ever-growing collection of gifts. Understanding this tradition therefore requires two different stories: the calendar of celebration and the history of the song. They overlap, but they are not identical. This article explores why the twelve days are usually counted from 25 December to 5 January, how Twelfth Night and ...