what is the story behind the 12 days of christmas?
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The 12 days of Christmas is the period that in Christian theology marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. ... The four weeks preceding Christmas are collectively known as Advent, which begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on December 24.
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Santa Claus—otherwise known as Saint Nicholas or Kris Kringle— has a long history steeped in Christmas traditions.
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Toni Sorenson) The traditional purpose of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus, who is a symbol of love, light, hope and peace. This makes it a joyful season for true believers. The Christian ideal is for the spirit of Christ to live in us all throughout the year.
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Christians believe that the 12 days of Christmas mark the amount of time it took after the birth of Jesus for the magi, or wise men, to travel to Bethlehem for the Epiphany when they recognized him as the son of God.
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Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God. ... The 'Christ-Mass' service was the only one that was allowed to take place after sunset (and before sunrise the next day), so people had it at Midnight! So we get the name Christ-Mass, shortened to Christmas.
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Christmas Eve is a public holiday. It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed. Christmas Eve is a day to remember the events around the birth of Jesus.
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['Isaac Newton, one of the most important scientists to have ever lived, was born on Christmas Day.', "Humphrey Bogart, one of cinema's most iconic stars."]
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In “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” one's true love bestows, among other things, a partridge, two turtle doves, three French hens, and four calling birds.
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In the Bible, the three wise men traveled for 12 days across the desert, following a star in the sky to Bethlehem. On the 12th day they arrived and brought symbolic gifts: frankincense, gold, and myrrh. Removing the tree on this day is a way of celebrating the official end of the holiday season.
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Small wonder one of his inspirations was Dickens. It is 1907, in an unnamed Swedish town. The movie plunges into the Christmas Eve celebration of an enormous family, introducing the characters on the fly as they talk, drink, flirt and plot.
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It's a fun gift-giving activity where, over the course of 12 days, you give gifts secretly to another family or friend. ... You start with gift 12 on December 13 and work down from there to gift 1 on December 24 (one day until Christmas).
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Story. The story is an addition and expansion of the account of the Biblical Magi, recounted in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It tells about a "fourth" wise man (accepting the tradition that the Magi numbered three), a priest of the Magi named Artaban, one of the Medes from Persia.
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Learn about the three wise men — Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar — and other Spanish Christmas traditions.
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Christmas on January 7 is also known as Old Christmas Day. Eleven days were dropped to make up for the calendar discrepancy that accumulated with Julian calendar when England and Scotland switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1752.
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Jan. 5: Take your tree down on this day, traditionally considered the Twelfth Day of Christmas — i.e., the last of 12 days of Christmas merriment. Think of it as getting closure on the holiday season.
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That's because it is not Santa Claus who brings them gifts on Christmas Day. The tradition here in Spain is that Los Reyes Magos, known as the Three Wise Men or the Three Kings in English, bring Spanish children their gifts on the Day of the Epiphany, January 6th.
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Roman Catholic families may choose to keep their tree up until 2 February, according to the traditions of Candlemas - a Christian Holy Day commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. According to superstitions, it is a bad omen if Christmas greenery is not removed by Candlemas Eve.