Have you ever wondered where the “12 Days of Christmas” (as in the song) come from? This is the “Christmastide”, or the days between Christmas Day and Epiphany (January 6). Traditionally, this was the time when the birth of Christ was celebrated with much joy and merriment. Not, as it is done now in our commercial culture, where the Christmas tree and decorations are put up at Thanksgiving and thrown out on December 26. People often think the 12 days of Christmas come before Christmas and the 12th day is Christmas Day, December 25, and December 26 is only for the after Christmas sale (to return unwanted gifts). How shallow have we become!

Epiphany has become an orphan in the Western Church Year. There is no longer a church service offered in many churches on January 6, commemorating the Day of Epiphany, Epiphany means, showing, an appearance, a manifestation. A word often connected with a visit of a prince or emperor. Epiphany was of course at one time THE Feast of the Nativity, or Christmas. According to the Egyptian calendar, which was 12 days behind the Julian one used at Rome, the winter solstice fell on January 6. The church established the Feast of the Nativity on this day, as to discourage the pagan festivals connected to the winter solstice, as the Gospel spread though Europe. When the calendar was updated Christmas now fell on December 25, with the feast continuing till January 6, commemorating the Wise men from the east coming to see the Christ Child (Matthew 2). Epiphany also became known as the “Gentile Christmas”, since the Wise Men were from the Gentile East, indicating the Christ came to save both Jew and Gentile. Therefore, the church often encouraged the support of mission work on the festival of Epiphany. Christ, the Light of the World, now appears, rises over “the people that in darkness sat” and brings them salvation.

The star, the light, led the Wise Men to the Christ Child. Scripture does not mention how many Wise Men came to see the Christ Child in Bethlehem, but some of the Early Church Fathers, like Augustine and Chrysostom mention that there were 12. The Persian word magi, translated as “wise men,” really means “keepers of sacred things”. Later tradition sets their number at three. Maybe, because of the number of gifts they brought: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. With time their legend grew and they received names, Melchior, the king of Arabia, a Semite; Balthasar, the king of Ethiopia, an African; and Caspar, the king of Tarsus, and Indo-European. Their gifts also took on symbolic meanings: the gold was to represent Christ the King, the frankincense, Christ the Priest, and the myrrh, Christ the Prophet.

The season after the Epiphany commemorates Christ’s starting His public ministry, beginning with His baptism in the Jordan and then His first miracle at the wedding at Cana.

So, the calendar might indicate that we have started a new year, but we can still celebrate Christmas, the whole 9 yards, or is it the whole 12 days!

God’s blessings on your joyous celebration and God’s blessings to the start of a new calendar year under His guidance, protection, and care!

May God bless Trinity and all her members in 2012!

Yours in Christ, the newborn King!

Pastor Paul can be reached at pastor@trinity-mt.org