Today is the Twelfth Day of Christmas (and my true love gave to me…!). A year ago, I learned that the Twelfth Day of Christmas is on the sixth day of January which is Epiphany (or Loppianen in Finnish). Traditionally in Finland (and Denmark, I’ve just been told) this signals the end of Christmas and the decorations come down. We still have all our Christmas decorations and tree up in honour of our good friends from Denmark, who arrived Wednesday for a week’s visit. We are having lots of fun catching up and being tourists, so the decorations will be up until they leave. That’s unusually late for us, but it’s in keeping with our festive mood and is a wonderful way to hold back winter’s darkness and dreary rain a bit longer.

A big welcome back also to mirabilis after a long absence! Read her timely and interesting post on Epiphany and Befana.

And for Finnish readers, Anita Konkka discusses Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Boxing Day is a public holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on 26 December. In many European countries including Finland it is also a holiday, called St Stephen’s Day (Tapaninpäivä in Finnish) or the Second Day of Christmas.

According to one theory, the name originates from the tradition of opening the alms boxes placed in churches during the Christmas period.  After Christmas, the donations collected in these boxes were distributed to poor people. Another theory mentions that it was a custom among members of the merchant class to give boxes of food stuffs to servants the day after Christmas, as an expression of gratitude for their work.

In most European countries today, shops are closed. A designated holiday in Canada as well, all stores used to be closed like on Christmas Day. As a child, I remember the big family dinners at a different home every night from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, and again New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. As new immigrants, we all lived in tiny homes, so we were crowded but very festive and warm.

But since the prevalence of Sunday shopping Boxing Day has become the biggest shopping SALE day of the year for most retailers. Many years ago we occasionally did do a bit of shopping on this day, but we have since had no desire to partake in this frenzy. Pity the people who have to work in the stores today instead of being home with their families. In the USA it is also a huge sale day though the term Boxing Day is unheard of.

Also today, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004 is being commemorated around the world.

Wishing everyone a good peaceful day!

Hyvää Itsenäisyyspäivää to my Finnish readers! (“Happy Independence Day” in Finnish).

Finland is celebrating its 88th Independence Day tomorrow, Tuesday, December 6th. It is a national holiday, an official flag-raising day, and in every home, two candles are normally lit to honor the day. Festivities in Helsinki begin with

raising the flag, a festive divine service at the Cathedral of Helsinki, where by tradition, the President is also present. In the evening the President receives guests for the gala occasion which is held at the President’s Palace in Helsinki. Approximately 2000 people are invited to this banquet every year, and war veterans attend as the guests of honour. The event is broadcast on television, and although it is a very popular happening which collects millions of Finns in front of the TV every year, it also keeps the police busy due to demonstrators gathering in front of the President’s Palace.
(from finnguide)

If you are interested in learning more about this holiday, see my last year’s post.

UPDATE Dec.6th, 2005: Here’s how Finland celebrated.