I have always wondered what the song “The Twelve days of Christmas” meant. I looked it up this year. It refers to Christmastide, the days between Christmas Day and Epiphany. In the more liturgical churches, there is a feast on each of those days—on every day, actually. I am not Catholic or Orthodox, but I thought I’d share with you what those twelve feasts are.
The Second Day of Christmas, December 26, is the feast of St Stephen. Stephen was appointed as one of the seven deacons, those chosen by Peter and the apostles to care for the widows being overlooked in the distribution of food among the believers. For this reason, December 26 has come to be known as Boxing Day, a day to present Christmas boxes to public servants and tradesmen. It’s also the day when the Christmas carol ‘Good King Wenceslas’ takes place. In the Middle Ages, this feast was dedicated to deacons.
