Saturday, November 29, 2008

The Beliefs and Traditions Behind The Twelve Days of Christmas.

By Kerry Beck

The Twelve Days of Christmas is the period of time that occurs starting with Christmas day and continuing on through to the first week of January. The 12 Days of Christmas does not occur the 12 days prior to Christmas. The period before Christmas is known as Advent.

The 12 days of Christmas is also known as the period of Christmastide. During Christmastide, the way people celebrate the holiday season varies slightly. For instance, there are different beliefs as to when the holiday should be celebrated. These beliefs are typically influenced by the culture that you live in as well as the religious denomination that you practice.

For example, some traditions celebrate the twelve days of Christmas from Christmas day until January 5th. Other traditions celebrate it starting on Christmas evening until January 6th.

The twelve days of Christmas signifies the travel of the 3 Kings from the east to go see Jesus. When the Kings discovered that Jesus was born, they decided to travel to Bethlehem to see him. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh with them.

When it comes down to the giving of gifts there are several different philosophies behind when gifts should be given during this time period. Some people believe that gifts should be given on Christmas day. Others believe that you should give gifts only on the 12th day of Christmas. Still others believe that you should give gifts on each of the 12 days of Christmas.

There are many ways this period is celebrated and highlighted. For instance, one common tradition is to light a candle for each of the 12 days. You can purchase a set of 12 candles that you can light for each day in the Christmastide holiday season.

Another tradition that you can use to celebrate is Christmas dinner. Like gift giving, Christmas dinner is handled differently as well. It can be done on Christmas day. It can be done on the 12th day of Christmas. It can even be done every day of the 12 days.

Then of course you have the 12 days of Christmas song. This song is the one where the lyrics are "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me" There are many people who believe that this song actually refers to different components of the Christian faith, such as the Trinity and the 4 Gospels of Christ. Other people believe that this is false and is simply an urban legend.

The twelve days of Christmas is celebrated all over the world a wide variety of different ways. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate it, it can be a great opportunity for you to gather with your family and draw closer together in the spirit of the holiday season. - 15266

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