Tuesday, December 26, 2023

It is the 26th of December 2023. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Ok- this is the last one- I said that yesterday would be the last Christmas show, but a last-minute and timely question from Kevin in Sioux City, Iowa, deserves to be read and answered because, frankly, Kevin seems desperate to straighten out the days after Christmas.

Once again- this is an email question from a listener in the Midwest (Iowa is midwest, yes? Yes: I just checked, and the Des Moines Register calls Iowa the “most midwestern state). Sioux City was the home of Art Babbitt- the famous Disney animator who created Goofy and confirmed that Goofy is not, in fact, a dog.  

Ok, Kevin asked. “I’m confused with the days of, or after, Christmas. I know some celebrate on the 6th or the 7th. That there are 12 Days of Christmas, but I don’t know when those start, and is that annoying song filled with Christian imagery?”

See? That kind of desperation gets you an answer.

Ok- so, from the 4th century, Christmas was celebrated by most Christians on the 25th. But we have some problems. First, the Julian calendar was reformed by Pope Gregory in the 16th century. So, Eastern Orthodox Christians (on the older Julian calendar) celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6th and Christmas Day on the 7th.

But, you might be aware that January 6th is also a celebration- the Epiphany of Our Lord. This comes 12 days after Christmas- thus, the celebration of Christmas lasts 12 days, and the final night is one for feasting- thus, the celebration of “12th Night” and Shakespeare’s play was written for that very occasion.

OK- now Epiphany is tricky because it can celebrate one or all of three things: the visiting of the Magi, the Baptism of Jesus, and the first miracle at the Wedding at Cana. The idea of “epiphany” is Greek for “revelation.” It represents the revelation of Jesus- to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi or at his Baptism with the proclamation of the Father that “this is my son, in whom I am well pleased” or his first miracle when his public ministry first began. The association with the Magi is why we sometimes call it “Three Kings Day” and why “King Cakes” are baked for this day.  

Until last century, there was another holy day tucked in between Christmas and the Circumcision of our Lord, which is eight days after Christmas. Whew.

And then, some churches- like the Armenian church celebrate Christmas on the 6th, making the Epiphany on the 19th. So, all of this is clear? I think it helps make an important point about the celebration of Christmas and its concomitant celebrations- much of this comes down to us like the old children’s game of “telephone” when something is passed down and, through various iterations, changes.

And this helps answer your other question about the 12 Days of Christmas. What is its “true” meaning? Well, we don’t really know. We know that from 1780, we have the first published iteration, and it seems to have no explicit Christian connotations. It seems to have been a game whereby you keep adding to a list, and the subsequent players have to remember all the items on the previous list.  

And it looks like it was initially all bird-related. As for the Christian symbolism- it has been given a direct connection to the faith- the two turtle doves are the testaments, the 3 French hens are the chief virtues, 4 Calling Birds are the four evangelists, etc., this is not the original meaning, but, as Christians, if you want to use the song to remember elements of the faith- go for it! We “baptize” regular things (trees and lights and even December 25th) for our own purposes all the time. Don’t claim it’s the “real” meaning, but with so many variations on the song, do with it what you will. And, lastly, a bit of good news: the PNC financial group does a yearly “12 Days of Christmas Price Index,” which takes the cost of the 364 total gifts and compares the price year after year. The 2022 cost was a little over 45,000 dollars, which was a 10.5 percent rise over 2021. The price index raise for this year clocked in at a cool 2.7%, so…. Not bad. That’s the end of the season for us here at the Almanac, and we will be back to our regularly scheduled content until next year.

Thanks for the question, Kevin!

The last word for today comes from the daily lectionary- from Hebrews 8:

3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[a] 6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 26th of December 2023, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who knows that to eat all the songs birds in one day, minus the activity burned in milking, leaping, etc., you’d have consumed a net 2,384 calories- he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who knows that because Pluto exists as a dog, it makes sense that Goofy couldn’t be the same species- it's good logic. I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.