Christmastide: Christmas Begins on the 25th
Christmas begins sometime after Halloween for most of the secular world. As soon as the witches come down, Santa goes up. And he stays up until December 25th. Thus marks the end of secular Christmas. But for those who keep the calendar of Christendom, Christmas has only just begun. Historically speaking, Christmas begins on Christmas day.
We celebrate Advent for four Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve. During this time we remember what it was like for those in the Old Testament to await a future savior. You can read more about Advent in my article here.
At sunset on Christmas Eve our waiting comes to an end as we usher in a twelve-day liturgical festival that commemorates the period from Jesus’ birth (Christmas Day) to the visit of the Wise Men. (Epiphany) This twelve-day season is known as Christmastide.
Where Do the Twelve Days Of Christmas Come From?
The twelve days of Christmas is not just a song. It goes back a long way in history.
In 567 the council of Tours officially declared the twelve-day period between Christmas day and Epiphany to be one celebration, the “season” of Christmas.
This official declaration demonstrates to us that Christmastide was celebrated by many prior to the council making it official. We know this because Church councils served only to resolve debates and clarify positions, not create from scratch. (There are exceptions)
Some have argued that the purpose of the Christmastide declaration was to replace a pagan feast with a Christian one in an attempt to make Christianity more palatable to the masses. This is baseless speculation and there is no historical reason to draw this conclusion.
Additionally, Christians were by far the majority in the post-Roman empire. By the time of the Christmastide declaration Christians had been in political and social dominance for around two centuries. There was simply no reason to “steal” a pagan holiday for Christianity to be accepted.
You can read more in my article Why Christmas is NOT Pagan.
What Are the Real 12 Days of Christmas?
Today, each of the twelve days of Christmastide is celebrated differently depending on denomination and tradition.
The Roman Catholic Church assigns some days to observe to her Saints. The Anglican communion does the same. Protestant traditions are all over the place.
A few of the common Christmastide feast days are:
Feast of Stephen
December 26th recognizes the deacon Stephen, who was the first martyr of the early church. On the Feast of Stephen it is tradition to help the poor and needy.
The long-time practice pops up in the Christmas song Good King Wenceslas. The song tells us the good king (Or duke) looked out across the moonlit snow to see a peasant gathering wood in the bitter cold. Feeling compassion he bid his page to gather some meat and wine to feed and offer comfort the man. The song further instructs all hearers to follow in the footsteps of Wenceslas’ example.
Holy innocents Day
A day set aside to commemorate the baby boys slaughtered by King Herod as he searched for Jesus.
Circumcision and Naming of Jesus
This feast day commemorates the events in Jesus’ life revealed in Luke 2:22-30.
Epiphany
Christmastide concludes with the feast of Epiphany which recognizes the visit of the magi. We shouldn’t dismiss or overlook the importance of the magi’s visit. The visit recorded in Matthew 2 is the first time in Scripture we see Gentiles worship the incarnate Word.
Although the twelve days of Christmastide is an extra-biblical feast, thus not commanded in Scripture, there is much we can learn from the season. I hope you find the time after the twenty fifth to slow down and breathe in the fullness of this ancient days long celebration of the Gospel.
How Can You Celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas?
- Leave your Christmas decorations up. In many cultures decorations are only taken down on or after Epiphany. It’s no wonder post-holiday depression is on the rise when we cut Christmas short.
- Join Wenceslas’ example by serving others in a tangible way. You could deliver a meal, visit a shut-in, or call someone and offer encouragement. In a season that is dominated by modern consumerism, serving others is a healthy reminder that Christmas is not about you.
- Continue to listen to Christ centered Christmas music after Carol Of the Bells and Trans-Siberian Orchestra have left the radio. Might I suggest a copy of my instrumental album Ornamental Christmas?