|
|
Dictionary definition: Twelfth Night
- Article from:
- A Dictionary of English Folklore
- Author:
Copyright© A Dictionary of English Folklore 2000, originally published by Oxford University Press 2000. (Hide copyright information)
|
Twelfth Night
(5/6 January). Still regarded by many people as the end of the
Christmas
season, and this has a long-standing official sanction, as the Council of Tours of AD 567 ruled that the twelve days from the Nativity to the Epiphany would constitute one religious festival. For most of us nowadays the only practical aspect of the date is that it is said to be the day (or the last day) for taking down the Christmas decorations, or bad luck will follow, but in the past Twelfth Night had its own traditions, which have largely been forgotten.
The overriding feeling of reports of Twelfth Night celebrations in the 18th and 19th centuries is that although substantial in their own right, they ...