Twelfth Night (holiday)
Twelfth Night (also known as Epiphany Eve depending upon the tradition) is a Christian festival on the last night of the Twelve Days of Christmas, marking the coming of the Epiphany. Different traditions mark the date of Twelfth Night as either 5 January or 6 January, depending on whether the counting begins on Christmas Day or 26 December. January 6 is celebrated as the feast of Epiphany, which begins the Epiphanytide season.
| Twelfth Night | |
|---|---|
Mervyn Clitheroe's Twelfth Night party, by "Phiz" | |
| Also called | Epiphany Eve |
| Observed by | Christians |
| Type | Christian |
| Significance | evening prior to Epiphany |
| Observances |
|
| Date | 5 or 6 January |
| Frequency | annual |
| Related to | |
A superstition in some English-speaking countries suggests it is unlucky to leave Christmas decorations hanging after Twelfth Night, a tradition also variously attached to Candlemas (which marks the end of Epiphanytide on 2 February), as well as Good Friday, Shrove Tuesday, and Septuagesima. Other popular customs include eating king cake, singing Christmas carols, chalking the door, having one's house blessed, merrymaking, and attending church services.