The Twelve Dels of Christmas: My Festive Tales from Life and Only Fools

Product Information

Instead, the real 12 Days of Christmas starts on Christmas Day – a tradition that began in Europe in the Middle Ages – and it’s also known as Twelvetide which marks the festive season for celebrating the Nativity of Jesus Christ. The second day of Christmas in Tudor England was the Feast of St Stephen. He was the first Christian martyr (a person killed defending their Christian faith) and was known for helping the poor. Today, most people might have heard of St Stephen in a Christmas song – 'Good King Wenceslas':

Richard Austin, the son of Frederic Austin, had published an arrangement the previous year: Austin, Frederic; Austin, Richard (1960). The Twelve Days of Christmas: a traditional song arranged for unison voices & piano by Frederic Austin, accompaniment simplified by Richard Austin. London: Novello. OCLC 497413045. Novello School Songs 2039. . It is a common misconception that the Twelve Days of Christmas are the twelve days before Christmas, coinciding with Advent and culminating in Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, however this is incorrect! In fact the Twelve Days of Christmas start on Christmas Day, considered the "First Day of Christmas". These types of songs were common in 1800s English playgrounds, and would normally involve children taking turns to sing all of the previously sung lyrics, before adding the next line. If someone got the lyrics wrong, there would usually be a forfeit. Scott (1892), reminiscing about Christmas and New Year's celebrations in Newcastle around the year 1844, described a performance thus: [25] Another, perhaps more credible theory for the origin story of the song, is that it was a memory game.On 2 January begins the Forefeast of the Theophany. The Eve of the Theophany on 5 January is a day of strict fasting, on which the devout will not eat anything until the first star is seen at night. This day is known as Paramony (Greek Παραμονή "Eve"), and follows the same general outline as Christmas Eve. That morning is the celebration of the Royal Hours and then the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil combined with Vespers, at the conclusion of which is celebrated the Great Blessing of Waters, in commemoration of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. There are certain parallels between the hymns chanted on Paramony and those of Good Friday, to show that, according to Orthodox theology, the steps that Jesus took into the Jordan River were the first steps on the way to the Cross. That night the All-Night Vigil is served for the Feast of the Theophany. Sir David Jason was born in 1940 in North London. His acting career has been long and varied: from his theatre work in the West End to providing the voices of Mr Toad from The Wind in the Willows, Dangermouse and The BFG. From Open All Hours to The Darling Buds of May to his starring roles as Detective Inspector Frost in A Touch of Frost and, of course, Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter in Only Fools and Horses. Allan Sherman Discography". Povonline.com. 30 November 1924. Archived from the original on 16 December 2011 . Retrieved 5 December 2011. Pape, Gordon, and Deborah Kerbel. Quizmas Carols: Family Trivia Fun with Classic Christmas Songs. New York: A Plume Book, October 2007. ISBN 978-0-452-28875-1 You have so many options for honoring the ninth verse of "The 12 Days of Christmas" and honestly, nothing feels more festive than nodding to the idea of dancing. If you have the budget, splurge on a smart speaker to help get your gift recipient grooving. If you're looking to be more frugal, consider making a playlist of all your favorite dance tunes that you can then share through an app like Spotify.

In England in the Middle Ages, this period was one of continuous feasting and merrymaking, which climaxed on Twelfth Night, the traditional end of the Christmas season on 5 January (the last night before Ephiphany which started 6 January). William Shakespeare used it as the setting for one of his most famous stage plays, Twelfth Night. Often a Lord of Misrule was chosen to lead the Christmas revels. [18]Jasper Carrott performed "Twelve Drinks of Christmas" where he appears to be more inebriated with each successive verse. [90] This was based on Scottish comedian Bill Barclay's version. [91] The earliest known publications of the words to The Twelve Days of Christmas were an illustrated children's book, Mirth Without Mischief, published in London in 1780, and a broadsheet by Angus, of Newcastle, dated to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries. [4] [5] For the Eastern Orthodox, both Christmas and Epiphany are among the Twelve Great Feasts that are only second to Easter in importance. [13]