What is The Twelve Days of Christmas?
{{About|the religious period|the Christmas song|The Twelve Days of Christmas (song)}} {{Infobox Holiday |holiday_name = 12 Days of Christmas |type = Christian |image = Adoration assisi.jpg |caption = ''[[The Adoration of the Magi]]''. [[Fresco]] in Lower Church, [[Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi]] |observedby = Christians |date = 25 December–5/6 January |observances = Varies between countries and cultures |relatedto = [[Christmas|Christmas Day]], [[Twelfth Night (holiday)|Twelfth Night]], [[Epiphany (Christian)|Epiphany]] }} The '''Twelve Days of Christmas''' are the festive days which begin on [[Christmas Day]] (25 December). This is also known as [[Christmastide]] and Twelvetide. The [[Twelfth Night (holiday)|Twelfth Night]] of Christmas is always on the evening of 5 January. The Twelfth Day can either be before or follow the Twelfth Night according to which Christian tradition is followed.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Twelve Days of Christmas|url=http://www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html}}</ref> Twelfth Night is followed by the [[Feast of the Epiphany]] on 6 January. In some traditions, the first day of Epiphany (6 January) and the twelfth day of Christmas are the same.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Holy Trinity (German) Catholic Church|url=http://www.holytrinitygerman.org/xmascustoms.html#twelvedays|title=The Customs of Christmastide: The Twelve Days of Christmas|date=}}</ref> Over the centuries, differing churches and [[sect]]s of [[Christianity]] have changed the actual traditions, time frame and their interpretations. [[St. Stephen's Day]] (or [[Boxing Day]]), for example, is 26 December in the [[Western Church]] and 27 December in the [[Eastern Church]]. 28 December is Childermas or the [[Massacre of the Innocents|Feast of the Innocents]]. Currently, the twelve days and nights are celebrated in widely varying ways around the world. For example, some give gifts only on Christmas Day, some only on [[Twelfth Night (holiday)|Twelfth Night]], and some each of the twelve nights.