I know the Christmas season is over, but it is not as far in the rear-view mirror as one might think. This past Saturday, Dean and I stopped in at our favourite nut store and the lady at the counter mentioned that she was celebrating Christmas that very day, January 6. For those of us in the Western church tradition, this might sound a bit strange, but for the first few centuries, the early church celebrated the birth of Christ and the manifestation of Christ as Messiah on Epiphany, January 6. Only later (4th century) was the celebration of the nativity separated from the celebration of the manifestation of Christ. The separation of the two events eventually resulted in commemorating the twelve days of Christmas, with the Twelfth Night feast falling on January 5.
That's right. The Twelve Days of Christmas is not just a song from the 18th century. The church has been celebrating various feast days following the birth of Christ for many centuries. To be honest, our Western Christmas tradition is a bit thin and overly romanticised. It focuses on only one day (the next day people go shopping) and highlights the joy of Jesus's birth. In reality, there is so much more to the story, and the twelve days of Christmas help us tell a more well-rounded narrative.
Different commemorative feasts have become associated with each of the twelve days, but I would like to highlight three of the most widely celebrated ones.
December 26 (the second day of Christmas) is known as the Feast of St. Stephen. Stephen, one of the first deacons in the early church, is known for two things: taking care of the poor and being the first martyr. Along with six others, Stephen was commissioned to help take care of the widows in the community. His words and works soon caught the attention of the religious leaders and he was arrested, accused, and subsequently stoned for his outspoken allegiance to Christ. His last words echoed those of Jesus at his crucifixion: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" (Acts 7:60). To celebrate the life of St. Stephen, it is customary to give food to the poor on the day after Christmas. This is reflected in the folk song, Good King Wenceslas.
December 27 (the third day of Christmas) is the feast of St. John the Evangelist. In contrast to Stephen, the first martyr, John the apostle was the only disciple not killed for being a follower of Jesus. His work of witness was not through his death but through his words. He engaged with Greek philosophy, insisting that the logos, the divine animating principle of the universe, was enfleshed in the person of Jesus Christ. John's emphasis was on love and abiding in Christ. He called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved, not as a title of significance or self-importance, but to indicate that the love of Jesus defined who he was. John shows us a very intimate portrayal of life with Jesus.
December 28 (the fourth day of Christmas) is the feast of the Holy Innocents. This day commemorates all the children murdered by Herod when he attempted to eliminate Jesus whom he saw as a threat to his rule. Most of us are not used to including lament for injustice in our Christmas celebrations, and yet, the birth of the Christ did not happen in a sanitized vacuum. The joyous celebration of the birth of Jesus coexisted alongside the anguished cries of many Jewish parents whose children did not escape Herod's cruel act. Jesus was filled with compassion for victims of injustice. Many times he healed those who suffered, but at times, he stopped to lament (Matthew 23). Michael Card states that "in Jesus' eyes the tears of God and those of the people mingled and flowed together." [1] The Father of Creation weeps for his wayward children, and the people of God weep for the brokenness of the world. In Jesus, both are held together.
January 6 is called Epiphany, a Greek word which means appearance or manifestation. On this day, the church celebrates Christ being made known as the Messiah. Traditionally, three events are associated with Epiphany: the visit of the magi (the focus of Western tradition), the baptism of Jesus (the focus in the Eastern tradition), and the turning of water into wine (the beginning of Jesus's miracles). In each of these events, Jesus is revealed as the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah. In the visit of the magi, Christ was recognized by the Gentiles. In his baptism, Christ was announced to the Jewish community. In turning water into wine, Jesus revealed his authority to perform miracles. This miracle also hinted at the never-ending wedding feast to come, when the bride (the church) would finally be one with the bridegroom (Christ).
Through the twelve days of Christmas, we engage in a rich narrative, one which helps to offset the overly sentimental, idealized notions of the nativity of Christ. When we celebrate Jesus's birth, we recognize that God is with us. In remembering Stephen, we acknowledge the call of Jesus to serve the poor. John the Evangelist invites us to intimacy with Jesus, and the feast of Holy Innocents reminds us that as long as there is injustice, there must be lament. Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah and urges us to see Jesus, to recognize Jesus, in whatever form he might appear.
When we tell the story of Christmas, let us tell the whole story.
Jesus is God with us.
Jesus is compassionate, caring for the poor.
Jesus invites us to intimacy, to be beloved disciples.
Jesus laments and weeps at injustice and suffering.
Jesus comes in unexpected forms.
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[1] Michael Card. A Sacred Sorrow (Colorado Spring: NavPress, 2005), 120.
Image from Pinterest.
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