The 12 Days of Christmas

Keep your Christmas trees and nativity scenes up because we still have a few days left of Christmas!

I’m musing this week on the Christmas season, like I did last week. Specifically, I am thinking of the 12 days of Christmas and Epiphany.

The 12 days represent both the 12 tribes of Israel and Jesus’s 12 apostles, both of whom are the Lord’s chosen people. We might think of ourselves in this group of chosen people. Note that the Epiphany, when the magi come to see the baby Jesus, comes at the end of the 12 days.

The magi represent the nations, the neighboring pagans; those who were not in the family Israel. At the Epiphany, Christ reveals himself to the nations as King of the universe (Epiphany can also be called theophany – a visible manifestation of God to human).

So, Jesus reveals himself to the chosen people in the first 12 days, and then to those outside of Israel. Or you might say, those in the peripheries, which we too, are called to do.

The Epiphany of the magi is truly a time to rejoice because it tells the story of the Gospel reaching the gentiles and them accepting Christ the King through the Incarnation.

I think it is wonderful that the Church extends our Christmas season for 12 days. The celebration doesn’t have to end the day after Christmas. Enjoy Christmas while you can! Ordinary Time begins on Monday, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

“The Epiphany show that the full number of the nations now takes its place in the family of the patriarchs and acquires Israelitica ignitas (is made worthy of the heritage of Israel)” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 528).