What are the Twelve Days of Christmas?
Q: What are the Twelve Days of Christmas?
A: The twelve days of Christmas are the festive days that begin on Christmas Day (25 December).
Q: What is another name for the Twelve Days of Christmas?
A: The Twelve Days of Christmas are also known as Christmastide and Twelvetide.
Q: When is the Twelfth Night of Christmas?
A: The Twelfth Night of Christmas is always on the evening of 5 January.
Q: What is the Twelfth Day of Christmas?
A: The Twelfth Day of Christmas can either be before or follow the Twelfth Night depending on which Christian tradition is followed.
Q: What follows Twelfth Night?
A: Twelfth Night is followed by the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January.
Q: Are the first day of Epiphany and the twelfth day of Christmas the same in some traditions?
A: Yes, in some traditions, the first day of Epiphany (6 January) and the twelfth day of Christmas are the same.
Q: How have different churches and sects of Christianity changed the Christmas traditions over the centuries?
A: Differing churches and sects of Christianity have changed the actual traditions, time frame and their interpretations over the centuries. For example, St. Stephen's Day (or Boxing Day) is celebrated on 26 December in the Western Church and 27 December in the Eastern Church. 28 December is Childermas or the Feast of the Innocents.
