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Aside from all the "lords a leaping" and "geese a laying," the 12 days of Christmas have a religious meaning. For the Christian church, the Christmas season begins on December 25 and ends 12 days later, with the feast of the Epiphany. Christmas celebrates Jesus' birth, and Epiphany celebrates his baptism on January 6. Some churches also say the Magi visited the baby Jesus on the Epiphany as well. The 12 days between the two feasts can be celebrated by Christians in many ways, and some of the days have specific
meanings. St. Stephen's feast day is December 26, and St. John's day is December 27. The Feast of the Holy Innocents is held on December 28. Different churches may observe other holy days between Christmas and Epiphany. The day before Epiphany itself is Twelfth Night, which was celebrated with raucous parties, bonfires, and masquerades in medieval Europe. The day of Epiphany is also called Three Kings Day in Mexico and Hispanic communities. And about that song -- it's not an encoded Catholic catechism -- it's just an elaborate and rather pricey gift list.
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