How many days of Christmas are there?
Answer
12
There are 12 days of Christmas. In Western Christian tradition, the Twelve Days begin on Christmas Day, December 25, and continue through January 5, the day before Epiphany on January 6.
The period is also called Christmastide. It includes several feast days, such as Saint Stephen's Day on December 26 and the Feast of the Holy Innocents on December 28. Twelfth Night traditionally falls on January 5 and marks the close of the Christmas celebrations before Epiphany.
The famous carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” takes its name from this season. Its lyrics describe a cumulative series of gifts, adding one new gift on each day. The song's words were first published in England in the late eighteenth century, including in the children's book Mirth Without Mischief around 1780.
A common mix-up is thinking the twelve days begin on December 13 or end on Christmas Day. The traditional Christian calendar counts them from Christmas Day through January 5, although local customs and denominations vary.