Christmas 2022: A detailed glance at the days of Christmas and its Meaning

Most of us know about the Twelve days of 'Christmas'. It is an English Christmas Carol that lists the twelve gifts without which the 12 days of Xmas eve are incomplete.

Twelve Days of Christmas, also called Twelvetide, marks the celebratory phase of the birth of Jesus Christ or the ‘Nativity of Jesus’ and arrival of the Magi, the three wise men. For those thinking that these 12 days are the ones that lead to Christmas, it is quite the opposite.

Ahead of Christmas Day celebrations, we bring to you details on what each of these 12 days of Christmas stand for:

1. Day 1: According to Western ecclesiastical tradition, Christmas celebrated on December 25 is considered the Day 1 of Christmas (when Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem), and the rest of the 11 days follows after that.

Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people globally. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, is preceded by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on the Twelfth Night.

2. Day 2: Celebrated as Saint Stephen's Day (He was the first martyr of Christianity). It is celebrated the day after Christmas on December 26.

Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian Saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and is marked on December 26, in Western Christianity. Also, this day is marked, on December 27 in Eastern Christianity. The Eastern Orthodox churches that adhere to the Julian calendar mark the holy day on December 27.

3. Day 3: Dedicated to Saint John, the youngest of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus as per the New Testament, this day, has been marked on December 27.

Thomas the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Thomas is commonly known as Doubting Thomas, because he initially doubted the resurrection of Jesus Christ when informed about the same. This is related to the Gospel of John. Later on, he confessed his faith on seeing the wounds left over from the crucifixion.

4. Day 4: Childermas, also known as the Innocents Day, falls on December 28. It is the Feast of the Innocents, a Christian feast held in memory of the massacre of young children in Bethlehem by King Herod.

The Massacre of the Innocents is the incident described in the nativity narrative of the Gospel of Matthew (2:16–18) in which Herod the Great, king of Judea, orders the execution of all male children who are two years old and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem. The Catholic Church sees them as the first Christian martyrs, and their feast is the Holy Innocents Day. Many Herod biographers, and countless of biblical scholars, hold the event to be a myth or legend.

5. Day 5: In honor of Saint Thomas Becket, who was considered a saint and martyr by both Anglican Communism and the Catholic Church, Day 5, is marked on December 29.

Thomas Becket was also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London. Thomas Becket was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162. He also served notably as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. Saint Thomas Day is observed on December 29 each year and is an important day within the twelve days of Christmas.

6. Day 6: December 30, is celebrated in honor of the Benedictine monk Saint Egwin of Evesham. While generally these days are not known by others, but it is indeed to have a piece of knowledge about the same.

According to one account, as Egwin and his companions were passing through the Alps, they began to thirst. Those among his companions who did not acknowledge the bishop's sanctity asked him mockingly to pray for water as Moses once did in the desert. But others, who did believe in him, rebuked the unbelievers and asked him in a different tone, with true faith and hope. Egwin prostrated himself in prayer. On arising, they saw a pure stream of water gush forth out of the rock.

7. Day 7: The New Year eve, also known as December 31, is an important day among the twelve days of Christmas. This day is celebrated globally by all people. It marks the onset of the New Year and is counted as the last day of the entire year generally.

In the Gregorian Calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year. The last day of the year is commonly referred to as New Year’s Eve. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinking, and watching or lighting fireworks. Some Christians attend a watchnight service. The celebrations generally go on past midnight into New Year's first day, which is January 1.

8. Day 8: In honor of Mother Mary, New Year is celebrated globally on January 1 each year. It is a significant day in the twelve days of Christmas. 

New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on January 1. It is the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian Calendar. January 1 is also New Year's Day on the Julian Calendar. But it is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Whilst most solar calendars, like the Gregorian and Julian, begin the year regularly at or near the northern winter solstice cultures that observe a lunisolar or lunar calendar celebrate their New Year like the Chinese New Year or Islamic New Year at less fixed points relative to the solar year.

9. Day 9: January 2 is observed in honor of Saint Basil and Saint Gregory Nazianzen.

Basil of Caesarea was also called Saint Basil the Great. He was born on January 2, 330 AD, and died in 379 AD. Saint Basil was a bishop in Cappadocia (Turkey). He was an influential theologian who supported the Nicene Creed and opposed the heresies of the early Christian church, fighting against both Arianism and the followers of Apollinaris of Laodicea. His ability to balance his theological convictions with his political connections made Basil a powerful advocate for the Nicene position.

10. Day 10: In honor of the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, this day falls on January 3.

Saint Daniel of Padua died in 168 AD. He is venerated as the deacon of Saint Prosdocimus the first Bishop of Padua. Said to have been of Jewish extraction, he aided Prosdocimus, who evangelized northeastern Nava. Daniel was later martyred. He is depicted as a deacon holding a towel and laver. The signs of service to his bishop point back to Jesus' washing of his disciples' feet, as well as ritual washing in traditional Judaism. Daniel is invoked by women whose husbands are at war. He is also invoked during confinement, to find lost articles.

11. Day 11: In honor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, who founded the first American congregation of religious sisters, the Sisters of Charity, is celebrated on January 4.

The Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known by its initials BVM, is a Roman Catholic institution founded in the United States by Mother Mary Frances Clarke. Its founders were Irish Catholics. The BVM currently works in twenty-five U.S. states and three foreign countries.

12. Day 12: The last day, January 5, is in honor of Saint John Nepomucene Neumann, the first American bishop.