Well we have nearly made it, tomorrow will be the Epiphany when the Magi make it to the stable to greet the baby Jesus. The evening before the Epiphany is often known as 'Twelfth Night' and historically people thought that it was unlucky for you to leave decorations up in your home beyond this night. Let's take a look at some 'Twelfth Night' traditions...
Party Time
People would have parties to celebrate Twelfth Night and play jokes on friends and neighbours. Remember the Sing a Song of Sixpence and the line "when the pie was open the birds began to sing"? Well this came from a practical joke of hiding lives birds in pie cases and when you cut the pie the bird would fly out.
Cake
This was a fruitcake that contained items inside of it which had different meanings. Some of these items included a bean which meant you were the King or Queen and everyone had to do what you asked them to do, a twig which meant you were a fool and a clove which meant you were a villain.
Plays
Everyone has heard of Shakespeare's play 'Twelfth Night' right? This play supposedly took its name from the fact that it was first performed on Twelfth Night at around 1601 as it was common for plays or mummings (pantomimes) to take place on this night and we still have pantomimes to this day being performed at this time of year.
Yule Log
No not the cake that we all enjoy today! A Yule Log was a huge log which would be decorated and brought into a home where a blessing would be said in the hope it would bring good luck all year through. It also represented the need to keep the stable warm for the baby Jesus and would be kept burning right through to Twelfth Night.
Food
This was generally hot or spicy foods such as ginger snaps, spiced ale and a punch called wassail.
Did you Know?
In Queen Victorias time decorations were brought down on Twelfth Night and burned to signify the end of Christmas.
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