Twelve Days of Christmas Information

Western Christianity Within the Twelve Days of Christmas, there are celebrations both secular and religious. Christmas Day, if it is considered to be part of the Twelve Days of Christmas and not as the day preceding the Twelve Days, is celebrated by Christians as the liturgical feast of the Nativity of the Lord. It is a public holiday in many nations, including some where the majority of the population is not Christian. On this see the articles on  Christmas  and  Christmas traditions . The Nativity of Jesus 26 December is "St. Stephen's Day", a feast day in the Western Church. In Great Britain and its former colonies, it is also the secular holiday of Boxing Day. In some parts of Ireland it is denominated "Wren Day". Wren Day in Ireland New Year's Eve on 31 December is the feast of Pope St. Sylvester I and is known also as "Silvester". The transition that evening to the new year is an occa...

The Twelve Days of Christmas , also known as  Twelvetide , is a festive Christian season celebrating the  Nativity of Jesus . In most Western ecclesiastical traditions, " Christmas  Day" is considered the "First Day of Christmas" and the Twelve Days are 25 December – 5 January, inclusive. For many  Christian denominations —for example, the  Anglican Communion  and  Lutheran Church —the Twelve Days are identical to  Christmastide ,  but for others, e.g., the  Roman Catholic Church , Christmastide lasts longer than the Twelve Days of Christmas.      Observed by Christians Type Christian Observances Varies by denomination, culture, and nation Date 25 December – 5 January, inclusive Frequency annual History In 567, the Council of Tours "proclaimed the twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany as a sacred and festive season, and established the duty of Advent fasting in prepara...