Ah, Twelfth Night - a festival of feasting, foolishness, and frantic decoration removal, marking the glorious conclusion of the Twelve Days of Christmas. If you’re an English traditionalist, January 5 is your moment to shine (or January 6 if you fancy dragging things out). Either way, by sunrise, you’d best have the tinsel down, or risk invoking a Christmas curse so dire that even Scrooge would shudder.
This chaotic celebration - known as Epiphany Eve in posher circles - is steeped in history and haphazard counting methods. Whether you’re chanting wassail songs to trees, chomping on king cake, or bickering about ecclesiastical calendars, Twelfth Night is where it’s at - and, whether you do it on January 5th or January 6th, a quick glance at your Gregorian will tell you we're nearly there.
(PS: Wassailing is an ancient custom of singing and drinking to bless fruit trees for a bountiful harvest. It's still practiced across parts of rural England today.)
A Calendar Conundrum
Let’s tackle the date first: Is Twelfth Night January 5 or 6? Excellent question. The Church of England, always a beacon of clarity, confidently declares it’s the evening of January 5 (i.e. the eve of Epiphany). However, some traditions count differently, and before you know it, Twelfth Night has slid into January 6 like a late Christmas card.
Bruce Forbes, a historian and apparent calendar enthusiast, explains in Christmas: A Candid History:
“In 567, the Council of Tours proclaimed that the entire period between Christmas and Epiphany should be considered part of the celebration, creating what became known as the twelve days of Christmas, or what the English called Christmastide. On the last of the twelve days, called Twelfth Night, various cultures developed a wide range of additional special festivities.”
Translation: The Council of Tours might have solved an empire-wide administrative crisis, but they also left us scratching our heads over whether to count sundowns, sunups, or full days. If you're interested in reading more about Twelfth Night's connection to Christmas, I've got you.
Medieval Shenanigans
Historically, Twelfth Night in England wasn’t just the end of Christmastide; it was a license to let your hair down and leave your dignity at the door. In Tudor times, revellers devoured Twelfth Night cakes with beans and peas hidden inside. Find the bean? You’re King for the night. Discover the pea? Congratulations, Queen! Rejoice in your sugary sovereignty - but don’t get too comfortable. By dawn, you’re back to washing dishes like everyone else.
And what’s a party without a little chaos? Wassailing (a lively combination of singing, toasting, and possibly annoying the neighbours) was a central feature. (You may recognise this tradition in another form when your neighbours knock on your door to hear their caroling.) For thos who prefer to do it out of door (in and English winter? It happens), there’s orchard wassailing: a ritual involving cider, song, and yelling at apple trees to ensure a good harvest. It’s as English as warm beer and cricket.
Cake, Punch, & Theatre
Food and drink remain Twelfth Night’s MVPs. Wassail, a hearty punch of ale, sugar, and spices, warms both bellies and spirits. Meanwhile, the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, has upheld an annual Regency tradition since 1795: serving cake and punch to the resident company, thanks to actor Robert Baddeley’s generous bequest to provide this refreshment every year since.
And speaking of theatre, William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night was possibly written as an entertainment for the occasion. True to the festival’s topsy-turvy spirit, the comedy is rife with cross-dressing, mistaken identities, and hapless servants dreaming of grandeur. Malvolio’s yellow stockings? Peak Twelfth Night energy.
Modern Mischief & Leftover Fruit
While the grand medieval revelries have mellowed, Twelfth Night traditions persist. In parts of Kent, edible decorations are the final ornaments to go, ceremoniously devoured like a post-Christmas purge. Over in Ireland, the Three Wise Men make their belated debut in Nativity cribs, because better late than never. Meanwhile, Americans opt for king cakes and workplace parties where the unlucky finder of a plastic baby is roped into hosting next week’s shindig.
For the truly hardcore, there’s Old Twelfth Night, celebrated on January 17 by traditionalists clinging to the Julian calendar like a dog with a bone. In Somerset, this is the prime time for apple wassailing, proving that no Gregorian reform can come between an Englishman and his cider.
A Merry Epilogue
Twelfth Night, with its heady mix of festivity, folklore, and fruitcake, stands as a testament to England’s love for turning ordinary evenings into extraordinary occasions. So on January 5th (or 6th - or even 17th), whether you’re crowning a cake king or serenading a sapling, remember: It’s all part of the glorious, baffling, bean-filled madness that is Twelfth Night.
Oh, and if you're looking for a Regency lass who was born on this day, I have just the heroine. Read more about Lady Lydia Clifton here.
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