Notes from the Choir Loft

The 12 days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day, December 25, and last through January 6, also known as Three Kings’ Day or Epiphany.

Notes from the Choir Loft - January 07, 2022

The period has been celebrated since before the middle ages but was updated over time to include prominent figures in Christian history. Each day has a particular significance and is used as an opportunity to remember a significant person or event in the Christian religion.

This is what each day means…

Day One (Christmas Day): Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

Day Two (Boxing Day or St Stephen’s Day): Remembering the first martyr of Christianity, St Stephen.

Day Three: Celebrates St John the Apostle who is the patron saint of love, loyalty, friendships, authors, booksellers, burn-victims, poison-victims, art-dealers, editors, publishers, scribes, examinations, scholars and theologians. He also wrote the Book of Revelation.

Day Four (Feast of the Holy Innocents): The day to remember all the babies killed by King Herod in his attempt to murder baby Jesus.

Day Five: Remembers the Archbishop of Canterbury, St Thomas Becket, who was murdered because he challenged the king’s authority over the church.

Day Six: Celebrates St Egwin of Worcester, who is known as the protector of orphans and the widowed. He died in 717.

Day Seven (New Year’s Eve): Pope Sylvester 1st is celebrated on this day. He was pope at the beginning of the Christian Roman Empire.

Day Eight (New Year’s Day): Celebrates Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Day Nine: Honors two important Christians, St Basil the Great and St Gregory Nazianzen from the 4th century.

Day Ten (Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus): This day celebrates when Jesus was named in the Jewish Temple.

Day Eleven: Celebrates St Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint, who lived during the 1700s. It also celebrates the Feast of Saint Simeon Stylites, who lived on a small platform on top of a pillar for 37 years to escape unwanted attention.

Day Twelve (Epiphany Eve): So called because it’s January 5, the day before Epiphany.

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