The Twelve Days of Christmas is actually one of the most incorrectly identified holiday traditions and time periods on the calendar today. Most people assume that the 12 days of Christmas, like the advent calendar comes before and leads up to Christmas day. However, it actually begins on or after Christmas.

Another name for this time period is Christmastide. Depending on the type of church that is attended, how this period is celebrated varies based on religious denomination. In addition, where you are in the world also has an impact on when and how these days are celebrated as well.

Some cultures and/or denominations consider the twelve days of Christmas as the time period that consists of Christmas day, December 25th all the way to the 5th day of January. Other cultures and/or denominations consider the 12 days to be the evening of Christmas until the 6th day of January.

The 12 days of Christmas reflects a major component of the Christmas history. As we know Christmas day represents the birth date of Jesus Christ. The 12 days of Christmas represents the time period in which the 3 Kings from the region of Arabia decided to visit the baby Jesus. Traveling from their homeland they traveled to Bethlehem to see the infant. When they arrived, they presented gifts of great value, gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus.

When it comes down to the giving of gifts there are several different philosophies behind when gifts should be given during this time period. Some people believe that gifts should be given on Christmas day. Others believe that you should give gifts only on the 12th day of Christmas. Still others believe that you should give gifts on each of the 12 days of Christmas.

This holiday period has a number of different ways that you can celebrate it. Many people celebrate it by lighting candles for the 12 days. For example, on each day of the 12 days, they light a candle to represent the progression of the Christmastide season.

Another of the holiday traditions for the twelve days is the Christmas dinner. Like the gifts, some practitioners of the holiday host a big Christmas dinner only on Christmas. In the past, this period was a major feast time. People would come together every night during the 12 days of Christmas and enjoy a fantastic feast of food. The biggest feast of all would take place on the final day of the 12 day period.

Then of course you have the 12 days of Christmas song. This song is the one where the lyrics are "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me" There are many people who believe that this song actually refers to different components of the Christian faith, such as the Trinity and the 4 Gospels of Christ. Other people believe that this is false and is simply an urban legend.

The twelve days of Christmas is celebrated all over the world a wide variety of different ways. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate it, it can be a great opportunity for you to gather with your family and draw closer together in the spirit of the holiday season.