12 Days of What?!

Our first son was born on December 13^th.  When he was young, we would celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas by giving him a gift on each day from the 13^th to the 24^th.  As we began to add to our family, we realized that such an outpouring of gifts on just one of the boys would not be sustainable, so we discontinued the practice.  We had a lot of fun with it while it lasted.  Little did we know that there is much more to the 12 Days of Christmas than we had thought…

Most of us have heard that the celebration of Christmas on December 25^th is an adoption of the Syrian sun-god festival established by Emperor Aurelian in 274 A.D.  Simultaneously, the early Church Fathers Tertullian and Hippolytus calculated a symbolic birthdate of December 25^th for Jesus based upon His conception falling on March 25^th.  In 313 A.D. Constantine legalized Christianity, and by 336 the date is firmly established on the calendar.

Here’s the twist… While today’s secular culture concludes Christmas on December 25^th, the early Church continued in its celebration for 12 more days until January 6^th, a day called Epiphany.  The holiday of Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of God to mankind.  Christmas arose out of a desire to emphasize the incarnation of God into human form – it’s all about the nativity.  Epiphany continues the story to the arrival of the Magi, Jesus’ baptism, and Jesus’ first miracle – the revealing of God’s glory in the person of Jesus.

Christians often demand that society “keep Christ in Christmas,” yet the same Christians are all too quick to end the celebration prematurely.  We kneel at the manger and only recognize one small part of the story.  Jesus being born is only the beginning.  Let’s keep Christ in Christmas, all of it, and be faithful to the whole story of how God revealed His Son and His purposes to the world – and to us.

What’s this have to do with the 12 Days of Christmas?

Historically, the days building up to Epiphany are the true 12 Days of Christmas, beginning on December 25^th.  Here are some practical suggestions for keeping the Christmas Spirit alive through January 6^th:

•  Leave your decorations up.  Maybe even add to your decorations during the 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany.
• Spread the gifts out over the 12 days, rather than opening them all on December 25^th.  Or, hold back a special gift to be opened on January 6^th.
• Continue to sing and listen to Christmas songs throughout the season up until January 6^th.
• Schedule your Christmas parties, caroling, etc., during the 12 days leading up to January 6^th.  It might help to lighten your hectic load prior to the 25^th.
• Read and study the passages of Scripture pertinent to Epiphany (The Wise Men, Matthew 2 – Jesus’ baptism, Matthew 3 – Turning Water Into Wine, John 2:1-12).
• Celebrate the Lord’s Table on Christmas and on Epiphany.  These days don’t always fall on Sundays, so take the initiative to lead Table celebrations in your home.  Christ came, suffered, and died.  We declare this until He returns.

Establishing a healthy respect of the entire Christmas season in which Epiphany is not a postscript or overlooked, but a grand finale, can help you to experience the meaning of the Gospel and to celebrate the incarnation and manifestation of God in Jesus.

“The Twelve Days of Christmas”

The song of frivolity and fun that we enjoy singing, as children and adults, is indeed just a song of frivolity and fun to be sung at Christmastime.  Stories of its role in Christendom abound, without any historical or factual basis.  Nonetheless, the song can provide some reinforcement and memorization of important Christian tenants.  Consider this interpretation of the meaning of each day’s gifts:

The partridge – Jesus Christ

2 Turtle Doves – Old & New Testaments

3 French Hens – Trinity

4 Collie Birds – The Gospels

5 Golden Rings – The Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible)

6 Geese – Days of Creation

7 Swans – The Churches in Revelation

8 Maids – The Beatitudes

9 Ladies – Fruit of the Holy Spirit

10 Lords – The Ten Commandments

11 Pipers – The Faithful Apostles

12 Drummers – The Tribes of Israel