Last night—January 5—marked the evening before Epiphany when the Biblical Kings reached the newborn Christ Child.
In medieval and Tudor England, Twelfth night marked the end of a winter festival that started on All Hallows Eve or as we know it, Halloween. Now we don’t exactly celebrate a winter festival, but that period between Halloween and tonight is generally referred to as “the holidays.”
There’s a lot to love about “the holidays” : It’s a time of parties, parades, and family get togethers and gifting and big meals on fine china— a time of spiritual renewal, of counting our blessings, of communicating with old friends, of charitable impulse.But let’s face it; in many ways it is exhausting.
They used to indulge in raucous merrymaking on Twelfth Night. Most of us don’t feel quite up to that. But if you had a Christmas tree and haven’t already done so, now’s the time to take it down.
Hints and Echoes 
Very interesting! Now why is the play called Twelfth Night? Hmmmm. Well, my tiny tree is down and all decorations back in the attic. All’s Well, that Ends Well.
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Well now, you know that play better than I do. So what’s the answer?
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In Sweden the Christmas holiday goes on until the 13 of January St. Knut’s Day. Traditionallly they did the Christmas tree “plundering”. That is, eat all the goodies left on the tree. It is dark in Sweden at this time of year. Multiple celebrations help them get through it!
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I was a day late getting this up, which just goes to prove my point. Those trees must be pretty dry by Jan. 13. But I’m all for eating the goodies!
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Well unless you live in Louisiana where Twelfth Night is the beginning of the Mardi Gras season which lasts from today until (surprisingly) Mardi Gras. Balls for which you are supposed to come in costume, parades, King Cakes with plastic babies baked inside on which you can break a tooth. We have King Cakes because of the three kings you spoke of and the baby represents the Christ Child. The theology of Mardi Gras is a little confusing, but it does allow one to party from Holloween to Easter. The parade goes right by my house. Should the idea appeal to you, I usually have a party.
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No, not interested. Only interested in what happens in New York City, where now we go back to the daily grind.
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Exhausting is the word! I really really don’t know how you could keep going until Mardi Gras! Clearly I would need to learn how to pace myself.
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