Twelfth Night, was originally, and still is, celebrated by pagans as the last day of Yule when the Yule log is allowed to burn out and a piece is kept to ignite next year’s Yule log. So one last toasted marsh mellow. Yule started with the equinox (around 20/21 December) and lasted for 12 days. Now it is usually known as the 12 days of Christmas and starts on 25th December and ends on 6th January.

It is considered to be unlucky to still have Christmas decorations up after 12th night, so today is the day they all come down. But how far back does the history of 12th night go?

The Christian church does not know the exact date of Jesus’s birth and to make sure the people would find it easy to transfer from their early pagan gods and goddesses it subsumed the pagan traditions of Yuletide which started at the Equinox and the Roman celebration of Saturnalia. Thus many of the pagan traditions became part of Christmas and 12th night was one.

It is now considered to be the end of the Christmas season and marks the beginning of tomorrows Feast of Epiphany when the three wise men, or Magi, arrived in Bethlehem to behold the Christ child.

Each year The Pope holds an annual Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome for Catholics all over the world. The celebration also marks the ancient Christian feast day of the Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist. It also marks the visit to Baby Jesus by The Magi (three kings, or wise men). Interestingly the word Epiphany” stems from the Greek and means “Manifestation”.

Epiphany is celebrated at different times

The Orthodox church celebrate it a week from now. The Ethiopian Orthodox Christian church celebrates it on 20th January and it is known as the Timkat Festival.