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Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Get Ready for Twelfth Night

I first blogged about Twelfth Night in 2015. Here is the post, updated a bit.

Most of my little celebrations are just me and the pets. Back when my first husband was in graduate school, we had so many friends (I thought), and Twelfth Night was loads of fun, with loads of company. *sigh*

But don't let a lack of comrades stop your enjoyment of holidays or events! Enjoy them yourselves. Draw memories of good times to yourself, and enjoy. With COVID, we are having to learn new ways to celebrate.

For Twelfth Night, lay in a goodly supply of nuts to crack, especially walnuts, and make a batch of spiced cider or wassail.  If you have the money, get some little pots of ivy to place around the den, or get any houseplants, really. 

WHEN is Twelfth Night? It's the evening of January 5th, the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany on the 6th. The Epiphany marks the end of Christmas (in most churches) and is 12 days after Christmas ("the Twelfth Night"). The song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" harkens to Twelfth Night.

If you can, have a smorgasbord: Cheese, meats, crackers, boiled eggs, carrot sticks, dip, jams.

Where possible, have a fire built in your fireplace. Have it burning brightly once it's dark out. Twelfth Night is a LONG party - it goes to past midnight. If you have no fireplace, and you can SAFELY do so, have a bunch of candles lighted, preferably up high so no one is endangered. If you are having a bonfire, get it ready. If you have no access to actual fire, play one of the fireplace videos on your laptop!

During the evening, before the stroke of midnight, feed the old greenery, twigs, cinnamon sticks, etc. from Christmas into the fireplace or bonfire, while snacking and talking. If you have a bonfire, I'd suggest throwing it all on at one go, and getting back inside to get warm. If you are lucky enough to have some teens at your fest, they will probably be "firebugs" and love to keep going outside and throwing things onto the bonfire.

If you are inside and have access to the fireplace, it's fun to throw the things into the fire a bit at a time. My favorite thing to throw in is a pinecone. If I bought cinnamon cones before Christmas, I throw them, too, since the scent's gone.

If you have no access to a bonfire or hearth fire, just throw the old pine boughs and greenery out of the front door! I just have a few sprigs of juniper and yew left this year, and some berries from a nandina bush. 


Now, Twelfth Night is not for the faint of heart. It's a time for telling ghost tales and odd happenings. In olden days, so was Christmas Eve, don't you know. So let your tongue run freely as to strange sights and olde stories (I have a million such), and if the feeling moves you, tell some new tales that pop into your mind. The key is to tell tales of wondrous happenings without being gruesome or awful or non-Christian - kind of like the "Sleepy Hollow" story.

If you will be celebrating alone, as this Olde Dame must, watch an old movie or read a book of strange tales (like The Hobbit, Rip Van Winkle, or even an autobiography of long ago, such as A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska which has many strange happenings).

As midnight nears, continue to crack open the nuts and eat them, throwing the shells into the fire. Pop popcorn and salt it well for luck. Talk or think of the year ahead, and sing olde songs. Remember olde times and olde friends and don't let the fire or candles go out before midnight.

Now, remember the broom you bought a few days back? Well, get it ready. Get your OLD broom ready, too. At midnight, you are going to THROW that old broom out your back door, bristles first. That broom is now your "yard broom" and its indoor days are over. It took last year's regrets and errors with it. Out they went. Take your NEW broom and draw it thrice across the front door threshold, drawing in luck. 

If you have guests, give each a little bag or jar of salt (luck) and a bag of walnuts (representing gold nuggets) to take with them as they leave.

I often stay up most of the night, just dozing on the futon or in a recliner.

If you can't manage Twelfth Night, don't worry: CANDLEMAS is another very olde celebration. It has you taking down all decorations by February 1st, and runs much the same way as Twelfth Night, but with even more plants to be placed around in anticipation of spring.  

As you know, of course, Twelfth Night is just done in fun, and is merely a fanciful attempt to recreate some of the holidays of the very early Church.

Kind regards,

Holly, The Olde Dame  


 


21 comments :

  1. none of this would work for me, we don't do entertaining of any one for anything. but these are great suggestions for hose who do entertain. we have not suffered as much as others have for the stay away from people caused by the virus. sorry you are missing what you always loved to do,

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    1. My gosh Snappy, are y'all hermits? Whatever floats your boat, as they say! I'm 1/2 hermit, 1/2 nosey friend. LOL.

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  2. We don't entertain anymore either. I love your zest for the old traditions. We have never celebrated the Twelfth night in our home when we were growing up.

    Happy Twelfth Night celebrations.
    Hugs, Julia

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    1. Is it the COVID? I know my remaining brother is being very careful, also.

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  3. Such interesting traditions for Twelfth Night, which I have never ever celebrated. I didn't know there were such traditions! Thank you for sharing these with us. It all sounds like so much fun! We traditionally never took down our tree until Epiphany, Jan. 6th, but I always thought it was because it was also my mother's birthday, and that was the tradition in her family. Our tree is still up, and I am getting anxious to take it down and clean up the living room, but yet I hate to do it. I do love it so. Like you, I enjoy the lights so much. Well, anyway, I enjoyed reading all about this and I thank you for sharing it with us. It sounds like so much fun. I bet if we lived closer to each other we could plan some great times! Oh to be younger again and have the energy to do all that! LOL. We used to entertain a LOT, but now I just don't have the energy to do all that work, but I love the fellowship. Okay, I must go. Take care my friend, and Happy Twelfth Night!

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    1. I am always so happy to see your posts when your dear relatives and your son and DIL visit you -- you all have such fun and I get a feeling that more angels than usual hover near, to see the sweetness and joy.

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  4. Would love to participate, however I have to get up early for work. Plus I am usually in bed by 10 even on a weekend. LOL Hope you have fun! Janice

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    1. Bed by 10 is a good idea! I am usually dozing even earlier than that...then up, then dozing, then up...

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  5. You are just a fountain of knowledge. Thank you so much for sharing!
    xoxo

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    1. I tend to get a lil' overenthusiastic about the old lore, ha ha!

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  6. I need other holidays. Too many relatives died on January 5.

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    1. I'm sorry to hear that. But it's a good way to commune with them!

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  7. I just learned a lot from you!! Thank you! I will have to try to plan a Twelfth Night Celebration next season with family and friends.
    Thank you for sharing!!!

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  8. So, so interesting!!! And, enlightening. You are a guru of lore and tradition. I love that about you Holly.

    I'm back from my blogging break and posting again. Happy 2022!

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    1. So glad to hear you are back! I've missed seeing your decor and photos.

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  9. I had a vague knowledge of some of the lore surrounding Twelfth Night, but not the wealth of knowledge you do. Fascinating! It's a bit late to plan at this point unfortunately. But, I will be up at midnight I am sure, and there will be burning in my hearth but, alas, no greens to be tossed in...and no running to the store for nuts and such...in fact, I am not sure what I will pull out of my hat for eats at all since we are in the midst of another storm with over 8" of new snow on the ground already.... When the snow stops, the winds are to pick up even more and the temps once again drop. I hope Snowdog is up for some ghost tales! ~Robin~

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    1. The Land of Nod is not for the weak! Such a bitter winter! Stay inside, stay warm, please!

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  10. Got to know some facts about the 12th night. (and it was yesterday)

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  11. I love learning about old ways and old celebrations. I was aware of Epiphany but not Twelfth Night. Hey, I learned something new today, thanks to you.

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  12. Thank you for sharing the beautiful old-time images of winter. I think they are so pretty. I enjoyed reading about all of the twelfth night traditions, too.

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