The 12 Days of Christmas

I learned something new this year. Maybe you already knew this, but I am super excited about the fact that the TWELEVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS that we sing about in the Christmas carol is Dec 25th through January 6th (epiphany or the day the three kings came). Exciting because while it isn't called that, that is what we celebrate in Spain.

First is the night of the 24th, with a big dinner.

Then Dec 28th is the Day of the Holy Innocents. In Spain it is like our April Fools' Day, where pranks are played and crazy wigs and costumes are worn. I'm not quite how the practice came into being, but it is to remember all the babies killed by King Herod who killed all the babies because he caught wind of the birth of the Messiah, of Jesus, and thought the Messiah to be a political figure who would overtake his political position.

It's recounted in Matthew 2:16-18 - "Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.'" This is why Jesus was born in Bethlaham, but then taken to Egypt so that he wouldn't be killed, and then when Herod died, brought back to Nazareth where he was raised. So, Dec 28th is to remember this story, it is on the THIRD day of Christmas, which according to the Christmas carol is three calling birds.

Anyway, the 12 days of Christmas that take us to the day where in Spain gifts are exchanged (and brought by the three wise men) - January 6th.

I am excited by this fact, because it gives more sense to my calender here and gives me more justification for playing Christmas carols throughout the whole of those twelve days. So, happy BEGINNING of the Christmas season!!! :-)