CHRISTMAS has been and gone, and New Year is officially over and done with – so when do we take down the tree and put our stockings back in the cupboard? Leaving your decorations up for too long is even said to bring bad luck. Here’s what you need to know. When is Twelfth Night? […]
CHRISTMAS has been and gone, and New Year is officially over and done with – so when do we take down the tree and put our stockings back in the cupboard?
Leaving your decorations up for too long is even said to bring bad luck. Here’s what you need to know.
Twelfth Night is Sunday, January 5.
The festival marks the end of Christmas and the coming of The Epiphany, another Christian feast day, tomorrow.
For the Church of England, the date falls on the fifth day of 2020, with the first day of Christmas being on December 25.
Other Christian groups believe January 6 is correct – because it is the 12th day after Christmas.
Its name comes from it bringing to an end the 12 Days of Christmas – the length of time Christians traditionally celebrated the birth of Jesus.
Most people stick to the same date to take down your tree – January 5.
The reason for this is that the Twelfth Night – the twelfth day after Christmas dictates the end of the festive season.
It’s widely believed to be bad luck to keep decorations up after this date.
The Epiphany is a Christian feast day, also known as the 12th day of Christmas, which falls on January 6 and marks the official end to the festive season.
The ancient celebration marks the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, as well as the visit from the three Wise Men – which is why it’s also known as “Three Kings Day”.
The word Epiphany comes from Greek and means “manifestation”.
It has been celebrated in Europe since the 4th century, associated with the Magi or three Wise Men.
The Gospel of Matthew says the three kings followed a star across the desert to Bethlehem, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Gold represented his royal standing, frankincense his divine birth and myhrr his mortality.
