"'The Twelve Days of Christmas' was written in England as one of the catechism songs to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith without fear of being accused as a Catholic."Įpiscopalians, Orthodox Christians and Lutherans also honor those who stood up for their beliefs during the Christmas season. "In effect, it was a crime to be a Catholic," Marascalco said in an email. Francis Xavier Parish in Wiggins said Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith by law, whether privately or in public, from the mid-16th century to the early 19th century. "Because of the commercial side of things it has become more and more difficult to keep these seasons in place," Conway said.Įach day between Christmas and Ephiphany has a special meaning and honors an event or person whose efforts to preserve Christianity weren't always welcome.įather Michael Marascalco, pastor of St. Like the "12 Days" song, the month before Christmas is spent shopping for gifts and decorating for the holiday instead of reflecting on the birth of Jesus. In those 12 days, we truly celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ."Ĭonway said the focus of Christmas has shifted over the years to a more secular holiday. And we then celebrate Christmas for 12 days until Epiphany (sometimes called “Little Christmas“). We spend 30 days (Advent) preparing for Christmas. "We spend 40 days (Lent) preparing for Easter," Conway said in an email. Fabian Catholic Church said events within the church are never celebrated on just one day. 26, but should celebrate this beautiful feast with the church, observing the season."įather Tommy Conway of St. "So Catholics should not tear down their Christmas décor on Dec. "Christmas is not merely a day but a season," Smith said. These are known as the comites Christi, “companions of Christ,” because their lives gave unique witness to Jesus through martyrdom (Stephen and the Innocents) and the written word (John).The actual dates may vary from church to church, but the purpose of the celebration is the same. But the 12 days are really only part of our Christmas observance, which also includes important feast days in honor of Stephen, the first martyr (December 26) John the evangelist (December 27) and the Holy Innocents, the infants slain by King Herod (December 28, Matt. The Christmas carol comes from 16th-century Europe. Sometimes, though, to tone down the partying, some local bishops tried to institute fast days, especially just after the New Year, to stamp out pagan practice. Yule logs and lighted trees, holding off the seemingly endless night, are examples of such adaptations.
These celebrations helped ancient Europeans get through the longest nights of winter.Īncient Christians found a happy coincidence between these festivals that sought the sun’s return and the birth of the “Light of the world.” Pagan festivals became Christian festivals, with many traditions remaining intact.
The “12 days” are probably an adaptation of the pre-Christian winter festivals of northern Europe, “Yule” among them. The date of Christmas, for example, is likely connected to an ancient multi-day Roman feast related to the winter solstice. Like many Christian festivals, the roots of the Christmas season can be found in pre-Christian religions and folk customs. The exact origins of particular observances and festivals, though, are a little harder to nail down. Since Christmas was the major “birth” feast in the ancient Western churches and Epiphany was the biggie for the Eastern churches, the days between them inevitably gained significance. The 12 days themselves are simply the time between the two major Christmas feasts: the Nativity of the Lord on December 25 and Epiphany on January 6. But even though we Catholics wait a bit to get going, we have a similarly long season of celebration, of which the “12 days,” made famous by a certain 12-verse carol, are but a piece. As we’re reminded every Advent, our Catholic Christmas customs are somewhat at odds with the secular “holiday season,” which starts before Thanksgiving and goes on until the last college bowl game.
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