(LifeSiteNews) –– The twelve days of Christmas do not come before Christmas Day as the retail stores would like you to think. The reason they are so called is because there are twelve days between the feast of Christmas and Epiphany. Sprinkled throughout these twelve days you will find some very special feast days that are well worth your attention.
Poinsettias have long been a symbol of Christmas and if you keep some on hand leading up to Christmas, on the feast of St. Stephen those poinsettias can be placed around the crib on the family altar. St. Stephen was the first martyr. The poinsettias are a reminder of the blood that Christ and His martyrs shed for the Church. St. Stephen’s Day lands on December 26.
On the 27th you’ll find St. John the Beloved’s feast day. Many families have wine blessed by a priest on or before this day. A toast to the love of Saint John is a lovely custom that Maria Von Trapp recorded and is popular in Catholic families.
The feast of the Holy Innocents comes on December 28th. On this day we remember those poor innocent souls that stood in the place of Christ and were killed by King Herod’s evil decree. In homes with small children a Christmas gift for the youngest child can be held over from Christmas and given on this day.
December 29 is the feast of St. Thomas Becket, a favorite martyr in many Catholic nations. Even in our own country and on the December 29, 2020, President Trump called on the American people to, on the 850th anniversary of his martyrdom observe “the life and legacy of Thomas Becket”. For Catholics we pray for the continued protection of freedom of right worship and to remember that Catholic nations have always tolerated other religious practices as long as they do not infer on the rights of the Church or the rights of other citizens.
St. Sylvester Day follows a two days later on December 31st. This is a day when many Catholics visit churches and thank God the blessings received throughout the previous year. If you like to stay up late and bring in the New Year it is tradition to pray the Te Deum and sing “Holy God We Praise Thy Name.”
January 1st is a holy day of obligation and also the feast of the Circumcision. The Church reminds us of the first time Our Lord first shed his blood for us. That was all that was necessary to redeem us but he chose to live like man, to suffer and give every last drop of his blood to redeem mankind. This day is like a second Christmas and families gather together for another day of festivities, camaraderie and good food. A plenary indulgence can be gained by reciting the Veni, Creator Spiritus on this day.
The merrymaking continues through the next few days and is concluded on the feast of the Epiphany. This is a very solemn day when our Lord’s manifestation to the gentiles is celebrated. In some families it is a little Christmas with gifts being given in the name of the three kings. Another custom this day is the kings cake. In this cake is baked a statue of baby Jesus. Whoever receives the piece that contains the Christ child is given one final Christmas gift or some other prize. Epiphany water, blessed chalk, and house blessings also mark this day.
This year, don’t clean up the day after Christmas or even the day after New Year’s. In fact, you can join the many Catholic families that leave their decorations up until Candlemas, the last day of the Christmas season.