Sam AdamsJan 5, 2023
I saw mention of Eastern Orthodox Christmas and it reminded me of the now nearly vanished Appalachian tradition of Old Christmas. Few people my age know it, but my grandmother, who was born in 1899, talked about it when I was a child.
Catholics call January 6 the Feast of Epiphany and in Shakespeare's day it was Twelfth Night, but in Appalachia it was and is Old Christmas. A friend celebrates it when her adult children come home for Christmas after celebrating 1/3
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with their own children, wives, and in-laws on December 25. Some people know the term, but don't know what it means. Others often keep Christmas decorations up until after January 6, even though many don't know the significance. Some believe it is the day the three Magi arrived in Bethlehem with gifts for the baby Jesus, and the folklore here is that at midnight the animals receive the gift of speech.
The date was actually celebrated as Christmas under the 2/3
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Jan 5, 2023 at 4:15pmWeb
Show threadSam AdamsJan 5, 2023

Julian Calendar. When the change was made to the Gregorian Calendar in 1582, a little more than 10 days were lost and by the time all of Europe accepted the Gregorian Calendar in the 17th century, it was a full 12 days from December 25 to January 6. Since the calendar was the product of Pope Gregory XIII, many protestants refused to accept it and kept celebrating Christmas in January 6. 3/3

That is my long-winded way of saying Merry Christmas again.
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