12 Days of Christmas

[TruthSeeker319]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Quick question here: how many days of Christmas are there? As a Roman Catholic (in the US as I believe the US bishops can shift Epiphany to the Sunday?) we celebrate Christmas from the 25-Epiphany correct?

So that makes today the 11th day of Christmas? Isn’t Epiphany usually on the 6th? so 13 days of Christmas? Or do Sundays not count.

As you can see, I’m more than a little confused on this wonderful time in the liturgical year.

Thanks and God bless!

 

[porthos11]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Quick question here: how many days of Christmas are there? As a Roman Catholic (in the US as I believe the US bishops can shift Epiphany to the Sunday?) we celebrate Christmas from the 25-Epiphany correct?

So that makes today the 11th day of Christmas? Isn’t Epiphany usually on the 6th? so 13 days of Christmas? Or do Sundays not count.

As you can see, I’m more than a little confused on this wonderful time in the liturgical year.

Thanks and God bless!

Epiphany does not count. The Twelfth Day is January 5th.

 

[TruthSeeker319]

Thanks!

 

[Joe_5859]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Quick question here: how many days of Christmas are there? As a Roman Catholic (in the US as I believe the US bishops can shift Epiphany to the Sunday?) we celebrate Christmas from the 25-Epiphany correct?

So that makes today the 11th day of Christmas? Isn’t Epiphany usually on the 6th? so 13 days of Christmas? Or do Sundays not count.

As you can see, I’m more than a little confused on this wonderful time in the liturgical year.

Thanks and God bless!

The current liturgical calendar in use in the Latin rite doesn’t necessarily follow the song.

Christmas itself is an octave (8 days), but the Christmas season starts with Christmas and ends with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This year, that is next Monday, January 9th. But the date varies.

 

[SMHW]

The current liturgical calendar in use in the Latin rite doesn’t necessarily follow the song.

Christmas itself is an octave (8 days), but the Christmas season starts with Christmas and ends with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This year, that is next Monday, January 9th. But the date varies.

Yes. The song is concerned with the 12 days starting with Christmas Day up until the day before the traditional Day of Epiphany (January 6th.) Our Church calendar has evolved over time.

In the United States and some other countries the observance of Epiphany is transferred to Sunday for the Ordinary rite. That kind of wreaks havoc with the 12 Days model unless January 6th happens to fall on a Sunday.

 

[mikeeh]

On January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany (in most places in the U.S. the feast is transferred to the Sunday between January 2 and January 8), the Church celebrates the biblical event where the Magi, also called the Three Wise Men or Three Kings, traveled from the East to pay homage to the newborn King, Jesus Christ. Many Catholics believe that this is the date when the Christmas season officially ends, being the end of the 12 days of Christmas.

However, according to the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, Ordinary Time doesn’t officially begin until the Monday after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which falls on the Sunday after Epiphany. This means that the Christmas season actually extends beyond the popular “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

catholiccompany.com/getfed/does-christmas-end-on-epiphany/

 

[Vico]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Quick question here: how many days of Christmas are there? As a Roman Catholic (in the US as I believe the US bishops can shift Epiphany to the Sunday?) we celebrate Christmas from the 25-Epiphany correct?

So that makes today the 11th day of Christmas? Isn’t Epiphany usually on the 6th? so 13 days of Christmas? Or do Sundays not count.

As you can see, I’m more than a little confused on this wonderful time in the liturgical year.

Thanks and God bless!

In the Byzantine Catholic liturgical Calendar there are four Great Feasts at this time of year.

• Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord is on Dec 25 (when using the new calendar) with pre-fest on Dec 20 and final day (leave taking) on Dec 31.
• Feast of Circumcision of Our Lord and of Our Holy Father Basil the Great is Jan 1.
• Feast of Theophany is Jan 6 with with pre-fest on Jan 2 and final day (leave taking) on Jan 14.
• Feast of the Encounter of Our Lord with Simeon and Anna (Hypapante) is Feb 2 with pre-fest on Feb 1 and final day (leave taking) on Feb 9.