Twelve Days of Christmas
Who decided there should be 12 days of Christmas and why did it stick? Is there something special about 12 days?Nicki
The twelve days of Christmas are the days from Christmas to Twelfth night, the night before Epiphany. This Christian feast day is to honor and celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Eastern Christian churches celebrate the birth of Christ, the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem, all of Jesus’ childhood events, and culminating with his baptism. This feast was set on January 6th early in their history and was first mentioned in writing in 361 by Ammianus Marcellinus. The sacred season was codified by the Council of Tours in 567.
In our home, a favorite Christmas book is Jack Kent's Twelve Days of Christmas. Each year we enjoy laughing at the absurdity of the number of gifts given. The song was originally printed in England in 1780 as a chant.
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