Tuesday, January 5, 2021

The Rev. Anne Williamson

Christmas Traditions—12th Day of Christmas

Christmas is season and today is the Twelfth Day of Christmas – probably the highest profile day of the Christmas Season other than Christmas Day itself. At one time, the festivities of the Eve of the Epiphany rivaled those of Mardi Gras which might have been a reason for Shakespeare naming his play of romantic mayhem and disorder ‘Twelfth Night’.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, as the song goes, a gift of twelve drummers drumming was given.I have been collecting Christmas ornaments depicting ‘a partridge in a pear tree’ and all the other Twelve Days giftsover the years.One of my favorite sets of ornaments comes from Louisville Stoneware.

My very favorite set of Twelve Days ornaments came from the old Strawberry Banke shop which some years ago stood on the site of the restaurant Mombo. I love these needlepoint ornaments and have great joy in bringing them out each year.

The celebration of the Twelve Days of Christmas, and the Feast of Epiphany are not as much a focus in the US as in some other countries and I am always a bit sad to see a Christmas tree out on the street on December 26. But however you approach this season, it is what comes next that matters most. In his book ‘The Mood of Christmas’, Howard Thurman offers a prayer that reminds us not to forget the reason for the season as we pack away our beloved Christmas treasures. As this Christmas season draws to a close, I offer you The Work of Christmas and encourage you to wonder with me how we might respond to this invitation.

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among others,

To make music in the heart.