Design Crafters

The 12 days of Christmas are the 12 days that separate Christmas day on
December 25 from Epiphany, which is celebrated January 6. Depending on
the church, January 6 may mark Christ’s baptism (the Catholic
tradition), or more traditionally, it may mark the day that the wise men visited the baby
Jesus with their gifts.

In the past, there was a tradition of giving gifts throughout the 12 days, rather than stacking them all up on
the morning of December 25. That tradition, as you might imagine, has never really caught on in America! We just
aren’t that patient. The song, however, demonstrates that some people once stretched out their gifts (and
gave some fairly elaborate gifts…) over the full 12 days.

Drennon’s Twelve Days of Christmas offers some interesting perspectives on the 12 days of Christmas and the song of that same title. You may have received Christmas cards in tne past and probaby will again in the future that feature a Christmas tree with partridges in them. That idea was stimulated by that song.