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Dec 11, 2023 · The festival season, which begins on Christmas Day (December 25), ends on the evening of January 5 (called Twelfth Night); this marks the end of Christmas festivities and, in ancient Celtic tradition, the end of the 12-day winter solstice celebration.
- What Are The 12 Days of Christmas?
- The Meaning Behind “The 12 Days of Christmas”
- Have “The 12 Days of Christmas” Lyrics Changed Over The years?
- “The 12 Days of Christmas” Gifts: How Much Do They Cost?
- About The Experts
First of all, let’s tackle the “12 days” part. When are those days supposed to start? And where does Christmas fall in the 12 days? All singing aside, there actually is a historical basis for the traditional Christmas carolwe all know and love. Christians have historically celebrated a period of 12 days surrounding Christmas. The nearly two-week ti...
So what does the song itself mean? Well, let’s get one thing straight—it is not a secret coded song that persecuted Catholics used to teach children scripture without drawing the ire of those in power. This oft-circulated internet theory claims that each numbered “gift” represents a symbol of Christianity: “three French hens” for the Holy Trinity, ...
omearadesign/Getty Images For as long as the song has been around, there have been slightly different versions of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Even today, you’ll see some number jumbling, specifically among the bigger numbers: Is it 10 or 12 lords a-leaping, and 11 or 9 ladies dancing? And in past versions that can be found in old songbooks, it’s th...
Now you know that the song was never intended to be a serious portrayal of holiday gifts. But it’s still fun to speculate about what it would actually be like to give and receive those unique gifts—and the PNC Christmas Price Index provides a cost estimate every year. They account for everything from wages for the maids a-milking to the weirdly hig...
Ed Daly is the author of The Christmas Book: The Ultimate Guide to Your Favorite Holiday, a guide that teaches readers about the holiday’s origins, traditions and more.
May 16, 2024 · Christmas, Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. December 25 has become widely accepted as the date of Jesus’ birth. Christmas has also become a secular family holiday that is observed by Christians and non-Christians, is marked by the exchange of gifts, and features the mythical figure of Santa Claus.
Nov 16, 2023 · Christmas is a fixed holiday and celebrated on December 25th every year, though the days of the week shift. Here are the dates for Christmas over the next five years: 2023 - Monday, December...
Oct 27, 2009 · December 25—Christmas Day—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870. Christmas Becomes a Holiday. How Did Christmas Start? The middle of winter has long been a time of...
People also ask
When does the holiday season start and end?
When is the first day of Christmas?
When does the Christmas season start & end?
When does Christmas Day end?
Some traditions, however, hold that the first day of Christmas is December 26 (the day after Christmas Day) and the 12 days run through January 6. What is certain is that the 12 days of Christmas is not a countdown that begins on December 14, ending on Christmas Day.
In the United States, the holiday season "is generally considered to begin with the day after Thanksgiving and end after New Year's Day". According to Axelrad, the season in the United States encompasses at least Christmas and New Year's Day, and also includes Saint Nicholas Day.
