The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-06
TWELFTH NIGHT
IN FORMER TIMES JANUARY
6 WAS A FEASTDAY.
Day When Churl and Noble Were on
Equality-King of the Revels-Vari-
Gus Customs of 0lden Times.

This is Twelfth Night, or the feast of
the Epiphany in the church calendar.
Away back in the year eight hundred and
something Christmas comprised not only
the day of the nativity, but also the
twelve days following, or, according to
our calendar, from the 18th of December
to the 9Th Of January, and the last day
men of the East who went to worship
Christ at Bethlehem. This is the annlver-
sary of that ancient custom.
As time went on the observances became
less religious and more social, and than
gradually fewer and fewer persons took
part in the festivities, until now the day
goes almost unobserved. except in the
churches, where 1t Is known as the
Epiphany, and in various countries where
peculiar customs obtain. AT the present
time In Porto Rico this is the day holiday
gifts are presented, instead of at Christ
mas, as with US. Christmas there is a
purely religious holy day.
There was a time when Twelfth Day
and Twelfth Night were occasions to be
looked forward to. Coming as it did at
the end of a season of good cheer and
liberality all combined to make the time
memorable. Caste was forgotten, and for
t~wenty-four hours at least, churl assumed
something near equality with the noble.
II was uuIluB Inc Itiuult dENS lHdl inc
day, or rather night, first to be observed
with a play. The little drama was of an
~allegorical nature and represented the
Quincy OF the Three Magi to Bethlehem.
Later on, when the religious side was
more or less lost sight of. Twelfth Day
came to be celebrated in the castles of
the noblee as well as in the church. it
became to be the custom on the night of
January that kings Of the revels' We're
elected with beans as ballots, supposed
to be a survival OF the old Roman Gus
tom of casting dice for the choice of a
king and queen who made laws that must
be obeyed by all during the day. The re-
ligious note was retained, however, and
offerings Of gold. frank incense and byrrh
were made at the affairs.
Later in England this custom under
went another change, and Twelfth cake
came into existence. This pastry had
concealed in it the bean which was to de-
eide the ruler of the feast. and every
member of the family was given a piece.
Four other pieces, one for Christ and one
apiece for the three Magi were given to
the poor.
The person lucky enough to draw the
bean was placed IN a chair and raised
three times to the ceiling, each time max
ing u cross in white chalk, which signs
were supposed to keep bad luck from the
house during the ensuing year.
In France the custom of e~lecting a king
was also observed, even at court, where
one of the courtiers became the king for
the day and ruled supreme.
The Twelfth cake has outlasted nearly
all of the old observance of the day, and
in some parts of England is still baked
and sold. Some Of these were. up to late
years, p%retentious affairs so large that
they had to be cooked in two ovens. These
sold for several pounds apiece.
In this county, except for the religious
observance under the name of the Epiph-
any, the day goes practically uncele-
brated