On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me... twelveTwelfth Night traditions!

Twelfth Night is traditionally the time to take down your Christmas tree and any other festive decorations. To leave evergreens up in the house after this point is to bring bad luck on the household!

Here are some other Twelfth Night traditions that you might - or might not - be familiar with.

1) Twelfth Night is also known as Epiphany, the date on which the Christian Church celebrates the visit of the Magi to the Christ child.

2) The feast of the Epiphany originated in the East during the third century, in honour of Christ’s baptism.

3) During a special service held at St James’s Palace, London, on 6 January, members of the Royal Household present the Chapel Royal with the three gifts brought to the Christ child by the Magi.

4) At one time, the highlight of the Twelfth Night celebrations was the cutting of the twelfth-cake, which was supposed to have a dried pea or bean hidden somewhere inside it. Whoever found the bean was proclaimed king or queen for the rest of the evening’s fun and frivolity.

5) Another tradition involving a cake, upheld by the cast of the play currently being performed at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, is the eating of the Baddeley Cake. This is as a result of a stipulation made in the last will and testament of one Robert Baddeley, an actor from the eighteenth century, after whom the cake is named.

6) In the West of England Twelfth Night is the time when wassailing ceremonies are carried out.

7) At one time in England, Twelfth Night was known as being a good occasion on which to carry out various good luck rituals, as well as for its religious processions which almost went hand-in-hand with the spirited, and good humoured, revels.

8) One such ritual had farmers lighting bonfires to drive evil spirits away from their farms and fields, the tipsy agriculturalists cheering as they circled the fires to hasten the hobgoblins on their way.

9) There was also the time-honoured guessing game, whereby the (now probably inebriated) farmer had to guess what was being roasted in the kitchen before being permitted to re-enter his own home. This was not as easy as it might sound because his good wife might have something as ridiculously inedible as a shoe turning on the spit.

11) On 6 January you would also find Morris men dancing in the streets, along with fools and hobby-horses.

12) Practical jokes were the name of the game on Twelfth Night and the playing of games – particularly games of chance – with everyone determined to make the most of the last day of the holiday season.

So if you're planning to see Christmas out with a bang...

Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too,
And God bless you, and send you
A happy New Year,
And God send you
A happy New Year.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me... eleventh hour preparations for Twelfth Night!

Tomorrow - 6 January - is the Feast of the Epiphany (when the Christian Church commemorates the visit of the Magi to the Christ child) and hence, Twelfth Night.
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From the time of William Conqueror up until the start of the seventeenth century, the feast of the Epiphany was celebrated much more lavishly than Christmas Day. Having taken down the Christmas cards and decorations for another year, Twelfth Night presented one last opportunity for a knees-up, the highlight being the cutting of the twelfth-cake.
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The traditional Twelfth Night cake was supposed to have a dried pea or bean hidden somewhere inside it. Whoever found the bean was proclaimed king or queen for the rest of the evening’s fun and frivolity. It then became their responsibility to announce the toasts and lead everyone else in the drinking that ensued. However, some kings and queens also earned themselves the responsibility of covering the bill the next day. In time, the bean became a silver sixpence which was cooked inside the Christmas pudding rather than the cake.
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If you fancy making your own Twelfth-Cake in preparation for tomorrow's festivities, why not try this recipe for yourself?

Twelfth-Cake

175 g/6 oz flour
175 g/6 oz butter
175 g/6 oz sugar
3 eggs
3 tbs brandy
340 g/12 oz currants
40 g/1½ oz flaked almonds
25 g/1 oz orange and lemon peel, finely chopped
1 tbs honey
1 tsp of vinegar

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Soften the butter and add to the sugar and cream in a mixing bowl. Cream the mixture until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well; also add a tablespoon of flour to stop them curdling. Pour in the brandy, followed by the flour and then the spices. Fold them all in, keeping the mixture light and airy. Lastly stir in the currants, almonds, peel and honey. Then mixture needs to be poured into a prepared cake tin which is when you can also add a pea or bean, if you wish (but do not use a kidney bean as if it is undercooked it can prove toxic!). Bake for two hours until the cake has browned on top.


You can this recipe, and others like it, in What is Myrrh Anyway? which is still available from all good bookshops.

Kings of Orient like you've never seen them before

Neil Kring Cole delivers his own 'unusual' take on a well-loved Christmas classic. You have been warned...

Marco Polo and the Three Wise Men

What does the famous thirteenth century Venetian trader and explorer Marco Polo have to do with the three wise men of the Christmas story? Well, more than you might think, as it turns out.

Six centuries ago the Travels of Marco Polo were synonymous with tall stories. The Venetian earned himself the nickname of Marco Millions because he had apparently seen millions of marvels which his contemporaries back home found hard to swallow.

One of these marvels (or three, if you're feeling pedantic) were the tombs of the three Magi who had visited the Christ child, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Marco visited the ornate sepulchres at the town of Saveh which is now Tehran, the capital city of Iran.

But more amazing than that was the legend Marco heard whilst there about the three wise men. If you'd like to know more, What is Myrrh Anyway? has all the answers.