Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Twelfth Night
References
Britannica AI Icon

Twelfth Night

Christianity
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

"Twelfth Night" refers to the evening or eve of Epiphany, a Christian holiday. Epiphany, celebrated on January 6 by many Western churches, commemorates the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi, and the revelation of his divinity at his baptism. It is one of the oldest Christian festivals, alongside Easter and Christmas.12

The period between December 25 and January 6 is known as the Twelve Days of Christmas, with Twelfth Night marking the end of this festive season. Traditions associated with Twelfth Night include leaving offerings for the Magi's camels and children receiving gifts, honoring the Magi's gifts to Jesus.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. Twelfth Night
  2. Epiphany

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.