Where Did the Twelve Days of Christmas Come From and Which Day Is the Epiphany?

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Karen Hill

The twelve days of Christmas are the days separating December 25 and the Epiphany.

Also known as the date of Christ’s baptism, which is on January 6th, the Epiphany is the legendary date that the three Wise Men visited the stable with their gifts.

It was once the custom to pile up gifts on December 25 and then distribute them over the days leading to January 6.

In North America, the tradition is now only a memory through the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

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