About Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night, the twelfth night after Christmas; it is celebrated on January 5, the evening before the Feast of the Epiphany which commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men to the Christ-child in Bethlehem. In Britain and other English-speaking countries, it is also remembered as the day for taking down Christmas cards and decorations - traditionally, to avoid bad luck in the coming year.

Once, it was a day of great merrymaking, for which a rich fruit cake was baked, since it marked the end of the Christmas festivities. Hidden in the cake were a bean, a pea, and small silver coins; whoever received the slice containing the bean became the Lord of Misrule or Bean King for the evening, in charge of the Twelfth Night revels during which, in the Middle Ages, all manner of outrageous behavior was allowed.

By Shakespeare's time, Twelfth Night was all that remained of the earlier Roman festival of Saturnalia

Sunday October 6, 2002 - 20:53 PM NZST

Saturnalia

Saturnalia is a mid-winter festival that was celebated from 17 to 19 December. Held at the darkest time of year, it was celebrated with the lighting of candles and torches, with feasting and drinking, and the giving of presents.

Festivities began with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn at the foot of the Capitoline hill, the most sacred part of Rome, followed by public feasting to which everyone was invited. The Romans associated Saturn with the pre-Hellenic god Cronus who was active during the Golden Age of the earth.

During the feast of the Saturnalia, slaves were often freed temporarily from their duties and their roles reversed with those of their masters. Each household chose a mock king, similar to the later "Lord of Misrule" or "Bean King " of Twelfth Night festivities. Gradually, these customs extended through to New Year's Day, and thus were absorbed into the Christian festival of Christmas.

Sunday October 6, 2002 - 20:53 PM NZST

Epiphany

Epiphany (Greek, epiphaneia, "appearance"), feast celebrated on January 6 by the Anglican, Eastern, and Roman Catholic churches. The feast originated, and is still recognized in the Eastern church, as the anniversary of the baptism of Christ.

In the Western churches, Epiphany commemorates principally the revelation to the Gentiles of Jesus Christ as the Savior, as portrayed by the coming of the Three Wise Men or Magi (see Matthew 2:1-12) bringing with them gold, the gift bestowed on kings, frankincense, used to worship at the altar of God, and myrrh, to prepare the body for embalming after death.

In both the Eastern and Western churches the feast additionally commemorates the marriage at Cana (see John 2:1-11), at which Christ performed his first miracle. Epiphany, known to have been observed earlier than AD 194, is older than Christmas and has always been a festival of the highest rank. The eve of Epiphany is called Twelfth Night, and the day itself is sometimes referred to as Twelfth Day.

In England, the sovereign commemorates the day by offering gold, frankincense, and myrrh at the altar in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace. In the Eastern church, at Epiphany, the holy water is blessed, a ritual customarily taking place on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter) in the Roman Catholic church.