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Thursday, January 05, 2012

Christmas Scorecard

Where the leaders are:

Orthodox and Coptic Calendar Christmas 
January 7

Orthodox Theophany
January 19

Western Calendar Epiphany or Theophany
January 6
this is the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Exactly when Twelfth Night occurs depends on whether you start counting the 12 days of Christmas on Christmas Eve, or whether you start on the night of Christmas itself.
Counting from Christmas Eve, Twelfth Night is the night of January 5 and, thus, the Eve of the Epiphany on January 6 (Today!... if you are keeping track.)
If you count from Christmas night, Twelfth Night is the night of the Epiphany.

Counting the start of a day at sundown is ancient and is in the Jewish Tradition. Hence, the first day of Christmas in this system of reckoning would begin on the night of Christmas Eve, and this first day of Christmas would then end the night of Christmas Day.

Thus far, we have had St. Stephen's Day (or Boxing Day), Childermas or Feast of the Holy Innocents, and a number of others.

(All dates using Western calendar.)
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