The days and weeks following Christmas are meant for rather more than turkey leftovers. Throughout the ages churches have designated particular days to recollect vital Christian stories – and to rejoice – and the period following Christmas is especially filled with them.
Whether you’re acquainted with “feasts” and “saints days” will depend what church tradition you’re from. Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox and parts of the Anglican church all have a set liturgical yr with particular Christians or particular events within the lifetime of Christ celebrated on every day.
This practice of feast days began within the very early church to recollect the anniversary of the death of believers who were killed for his or her faith, which was considered the date of their birth into heaven. It spread to other admired and noteworthy Christians by across the third Century, and many various traditions began to be related to the times.
St Stephen’s Day on 26 December
As the practice of celebrating “feasts” is related to those killed for his or her faith, it seems appropriate that the day after the birth of Jesus is the day to recollect the primary recorded martyr for Christ, St Stephen, whose work and fate is the main target of Acts chapters 6 and seven. Scripture describes him as a person “filled with faith and the Holy Spirit” (NLT) and the way he was chosen to run a church program for the poor.
But it’s the circumstances of his death which are most remembered, especially on Boxing Day. He was working miracles and evangelising, which made enemies who couldn’t counter “the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.” They made allegations of blasphemy to spiritual leaders. But Stephen spoke boldly to them – his long speech recorded rigorously in chapter 7 – and told of a strong vision of Jesus. He was stoned to death, so early within the church’s history that St Paul was watching, before he had converted himself.
There are many various traditions around the globe held on at the present time: one widespread activity is visiting the homes of neighbours, house to deal with.
St John the Apostle on 27 December
Less well-known is the feast for John the apostle that is held on the twenty seventh of the month in Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran churches. The selection to recollect this particular disciple just after Christmas, regardless that he doesn’t describe the birth of Christ in his gospel, can have been on account of the concentrate on Christ’s divinity in his writings, and possibly his significant influence on the early church, being the last surviving of the apostles in accordance with tradition.
The Holy Innocents (Childermas) on 28 December
The murder of young children by King Herod is a very important a part of the Christmas story, if essentially the most gruesome and sad. This terrible deed was inspired by fear and jealousy of the powerful towards the prophesied latest rule of the newborn Christ. In modern times it is usually a day that Christians particularly remember the youngsters lost through abortion. In Ibi in Alicante, Spain, a less obviously connected tradition has remained: the festival of Els Enfarinats, involving military re-enactments, music and a public flour fight.
St Thomas Becket and St Sylvester
Before the brand new yr plenty of early Christian leaders are remembered, not for his or her associations with Christmas, however the dates of their deaths. Both the Anglican and the Catholic churches remember St Thomas Becket, the medieval politician who became Archbishop of Canterbury, argued with Henry II, and was murdered by the King’s supporters on the twenty ninth within the twelfth Century. St Sylvester was a fourth Century church leader of the church who was interred on the thirty first, and is the rationale some countries call New Year’s Eve Silvester.
Twelfth night
This is often considered to be the evening of the fifth January, but sometimes the sixth, depending how the twelve days from Christmas are counted. The night before epiphany, twelfth night has traditionally been celebrated with cake and carols. Unlike today, the latter were more popular in the times following Christmas than before. The eponymous Shakespeare play is claimed to have been intended for the festivities that were held on this evening.
Epiphany of the Lord
What exactly this feast means varies between denominations and throughout history. Usually it focuses on the visit of the three smart men to the newborn Jesus, which is especially significant as they were gentiles from other lands. It can also be considered by many churches to be the official end of Christmas celebrations. However the Epiphany can even check with Jesus’s first miracle at the marriage in Cana, or his baptism, the link being the manifestation of Christ to the world.
There are various dates, nevertheless it’s often January sixth, the day after twelfth night, although churches that remember the day formally often move it to a close-by Sunday. There are records of its celebration going back to the third Century church, because the periods of Advent and Christmas celebrations until the Epiphany instituted by the Council of Tours in 567AD. Today, there are a number of traditions related to the day, corresponding to giving gifts, celebrating women and giving them a time without work, and musical performance.
Candlemas
Not often understood as a Christmas feast in modern times, but still of Jesus’s childhood, this traditional celebration was to recollect the presentation of Jesus on the Temple that’s recorded in Luke chapter 2 together with these powerful words of Simeon to Mary: “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and plenty of others to rise. He has been sent as an indication from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts might be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” (NLT)
Candlemas is well known on the 2nd February, 40 days after Christmas Day, because that’s how long Jewish parents like Mary and Joseph waited to participate on this ritual.
The unusual name refers to a practice of carrying beeswax candles before the altar to rejoice in church. In some periods of history and cultures, corresponding to Tudor England, the day was the official end of the Christmas period, when the decorations could be taken down.
Heather Tomlinson is a contract Christian author. Find more of her work at https://heathertomlinson.substack.com/Â or via X (twitter) @heathertomli
