It's Twelfth Night – so here are ten ways people observe Twelfth Night around the world.
- In Russia girls drop the yolk of an Egg into a glass of Water. The shapes that appear are images of their future husbands. (So you may often hear in Russia today cries of, “Oh, no, I'm going to marry a shapeless yellow blob!”)
- Spanish children leave a pair of Shoes at the window so the Three Kings know there are children in the house.
- In Italy, the Nativity is enacted with the newest baby in town taking the part of Jesus. Bonfires are lit to light the way for the Three Kings. Boys run through the fields carrying burning brands, jump over fires, and roll burning wheels down hills, and announce their engagements by shouting out the names of their girlfriends. The ashes from the fires are used to fertilise the earth and assure a good harvest. The way the smoke blows foretells the prospects for the coming year: smoke blowing east predicts a year of abundance; smoke blowing west is a bad omen for the crops.
- In some places, a straw effigy of Befana is burned to banish the old year. Chestnuts may be thrown on the fire and roasted, as a symbol of fertility. La Befana is a good Witch who brings gifts to children. Christ’s miracle of turning water into Wine is associated with this date.
- Also in Italy, Epiphany Eve fair of toys, sweets and presents among the Bernini Fountains in Rome.
- Early Christians celebrated 6 January, and the evening of the 5th, as the birthday of Jesus.
- Twelfth Night and Wassail Eve marks the end of Christmas in England. According to an old superstition, it's bad luck to leave Christmas decorations up after Twelfth Day.
- Wassailing comes from the Saxon Wass Hael, meaning “to your health”. Customs include Twelfth cake, a cake baked with a bean and Pea inside and the people who get these in their helping of cake are declared King and Queen of the Revel. Poor families would take an empty bowl from house to house asking for food and drink. Children would go from door to door with Dolls dressed as Mary and Jesus, which they would show for a penny.
- In Hertfordshire, the ceremony of Kicking Judas. People go to a Wheat field at night, and light twelve small fires and a large one, representing Christ and his apostles. The people a circle around the large Fire and made toasts with Cider. One small fire, representing Judas, was kicked out. Then they all went home and ate a cake with a hole in the middle.
- In Herefordshire, men went to the oxen barn, and toasted their animals with ale. A large cake with a hole in the middle was put over the horns of the first ox toasted, then the animal was tickled until it tossed its head. If it threw the cake behind it, the mistress of the farm got to keep it, if in front, in what was called the boosy, the bailiff got it. Returning to the main house, they were denied entrance unless they sang songs.
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