Original: December 18, 2020
Updated December 2023
Ever wonder about those twelve days? There’s a lot of history there. And some good reasons to get to the heart of it all. Best thing: It’s not complicated!
I REMEMBER WHEN I LEARNED THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.
I was a child, maybe almost a teen, and my mother explained it to me.
The season before Christmas is Advent. All the way to Christmas Day. It’s not really Christmas. 😧
The Christmas season starts December 25 and lasts 12 days, all the way till January 6, celebrating the memory of the arrival of the magi. This day is sometimes called the Epiphany. And it marks the end of the Christmas season.
Whaaat? Lords-a-Leaping! That’s news. The stores are calling it Christmas right now! All the songs describe it, and so do I.
And it’s not?
Well, it’s sure beginning to look a lot like it!
Over the years I have pondered this, trying to cement the right thinking:
Enjoying the preparation and anticipation as Advent, the getting-ready time, and knowing that Christmas Day is the beginning of the new and wonderful thing, the fulfilment of prophecy.
What Day Do You Declare Christmas “Over”?
It’s common for people to start putting things away on December 26th. Especially if the household has to return to normal (work/school, etc.) and time is a factor.
Some people sternly insist it all has to be put away by New Year’s Day, or there will be bad luck.
And those who celebrate Epiphany (the 12th day, January 6th), usually leave decorations up till then.
Look, I’m not a believer in superstition at all, but I admit I’m that person who is ready to get the house “back in order.” Put all that Christmas stuff back into its packaging and into the attic.
Are you like that? You want the space back, you want to clean up all the dust and the inevitable shreds of paper you’ll continue to find.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
Here’s something more, though…
Am I packing up my heart as well?
Maybe I’m tired and not thinking deeply, but is there a chance I’ll pack up Jesus and store him in the attic for 11 months?
I gotta ask.
Because asking if I’m wrong is a huuuge part of trying to be right.
And admitting the answer is “yes” hurts, doesn’t it?
So for 12 days, starting December 25, Christ is going to be the reason I celebrate.
And I won’t worry about the decorations. I can put them away, or leave them out. They’re not essential.
It’s something in my inner being that needs to spend 12 days loving the Lord and rejoicing at what he did for me.
So That’s The Truth about The 12 Days of Christmas.
It’s technically “Advent” until Christmas Day. Then it’s “Christmas” for 12 days.
But I’m not trying to force it. I’m already quirky enough. If I start going around insisting we all say the word, it won’t really improve anything.
We don’t really have the names of those liturgical seasons come up in conversation anyway.
So real quick, I’ll say that after Christmas (starting January 7), the season is “Ordinary Time” until “Lent”. Then there’s “Easter” and then a whole lot of “Ordinary Time” until the next “Advent.”
😂 See? I toldja. You almost ran off right there, didn’t you? No one’s asking!
And that’s not really the point, is it?
The point is understanding the lasting value of the birth of Jesus.
Like staying until the end of the movie, you should fully experience what your ticket promised. The whole Christmas.
The anticipation, the decorations, the getting ready, and then the day. And then more days.
More days of acknowledging the light of the world.
More days of self examination, whittling away the distractions and faulty ideas in our minds.
More days of yielding our selfish needs to the power of Christ in our lives.
The Main Idea
Sometimes it’s easy to complain about the season, the way we’ve spent our time during the pandemic, and all that has happened. There is plenty to be sad about.
But it’s Christmas! There’s music, and celebration, and lights, and love.
And God has already told us how the story ends.
What if our whole goal was reduced to sharing our testimony and the love of Christ in this dark world for the short time we have left here?
(If that’s not the main idea, what is?)
It’s one time we can talk about Jesus for weeks on end, because the celebration is going on all around us.
Will you make Christ your “plus one” at your gatherings? Maybe it sounds a little goofy, but I’m asking if you’ll introduce anyone to him? Or maybe you’ll just remember that people need to get to know him a little better.
If you’d like to read more about the 12 days of Christmas, here are some great articles. Some interesting history there.
12 Days of Christmas Meaning in Good Housekeeping.
Keeping the 12 days of Christmas at The Art of Simple.
Thanks for hanging out this Christmas (Oops — Advent) season with me.
Here’s what’s coming up!
Thanks for being here today, and for caring about important things.
Thank you for visiting! At GFP company is always welcome!
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-Grammye
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Lovely post. Great explanation. I am wondering what comments you will get.
Thank you for those kind words! Here’s the thing: Only my mom explained that to me. No one else. If she hadn’t, I still wouldn’t know, would I? I’ve got more mom stories coming up at GFP. Her stories are the best. When I run out, I’m going to get her to pitch in and tell a few!