Little Christmas facts for kids

Little Christmas (Irish: Nollaig na mBan, meaning "Women's Christmas") is also known as Old Christmas or Twelfth Night. It is a traditional name for January 6th, especially among Irish and Amish Christians. This day is also widely known as the Feast of the Epiphany. Little Christmas marks the end of the twelve days of Christmastide, which is the Christmas season. Until 2013, it was the last day of Christmas holidays for schools in Ireland.

Why is Little Christmas on January 6th?

For a long time, different parts of the world celebrated Christmas on different dates. In the fourth century, churches in the eastern Roman Empire celebrated Christmas on January 6th. Churches in the western Roman Empire celebrated it on December 25th.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar. This new calendar fixed problems with the older Julian calendar. The Julian calendar had too many leap years, which made it slowly drift out of sync with the solar year. To fix this, Pope Gregory XIII ordered that ten days be skipped.

Most countries quickly adopted the new calendar. By 1752, when the British Empire (including its colonies) switched, the difference had grown to eleven days. This meant that December 25th on the new calendar was eleven days earlier than it would have been on the old one. So, "Old Christmas" (December 25th on the old calendar) fell on January 5th on the new calendar.

Then, in February 1800, the Julian calendar had another leap year, but the Gregorian did not. This moved "Old Christmas" to January 6th on the new calendar. This date happened to be the Feast of the Epiphany. Because of this, January 6th is sometimes called Old Christmas or Old Christmas Day in some places.

How Little Christmas is Celebrated Around the World

Europe's Little Christmas Traditions

In the Scottish Highlands, Little Christmas (Scottish Gaelic: Nollaig Bheag) refers to New Year's Day on January 1st. Epiphany, on January 6th, is known as the "feast-day of the Kings." Some religious groups in Scotland, like the Transalpine Redemptorists, celebrate 'Little Christmas' on the twenty-fifth day of every month, except December.

The custom of blessing homes on Epiphany became popular because the holiday remembers when the three kings visited the home of the Holy Family. In the late 1800s, January 6th was also called Little Christmas in parts of England, like Lancashire. On the Isle of Man, January 1st was once called Little Christmas Day, while January 6th was Old Christmas Day.

The name Little Christmas is also used in other languages. For example, in Slovene it's mali Božič, and in Galician it's Nadalinho. In Scandinavia, the evening of December 23rd is called little Christmas Eve. This is because their main Christmas celebration is on Christmas Eve.

In many Spanish-speaking countries, families have a special dinner and go to church on Christmas Day. However, gifts are often exchanged on January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany. This is because tradition says the Three Wise Men (or Magi) brought gifts to baby Jesus on this day. These kings are named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar. This day is very important for children in these countries, as they receive their gifts on the morning of January 6th. In some places, like Spain, it's a public holiday. It marks the end of the Christmas season.

In Western Christian countries, people usually take down Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night (the night before Epiphany). If not then, they might wait until Candlemas, which is February 2nd.

North America's Little Christmas Traditions

Some Anabaptist groups, like the Amish and Mennonites, celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday on January 6th.

The idea of Christmas Day being on January 6th also appears in old English folk songs. One example is The Cherry-Tree Carol, which became popular in Appalachia in the Eastern United States. In this song, Jesus says his birthday will be on the "sixth day of January."

Women's Christmas in Ireland

In Ireland, Little Christmas is also known as Women's Christmas (Irish: Nollaig na mBan). Sometimes it's called Women's Little Christmas. This tradition is still strong in Cork and Kerry. It's called Women's Christmas because, on this day, Irish men take on the household chores.

Traditionally, goose was the meat served on Women's Christmas. Many women hold parties or go out to celebrate with their friends, sisters, mothers, and aunts. You can often see groups of women and girls in bars and restaurants on this night.

In Ireland and Puerto Rico, January 6th is also the traditional day to take down the Christmas tree and decorations.

Other Meanings of Little Christmas

"Little Christmas" also refers to a special move in Irish set dancing. In this dance move, four dancers (half of the group) link hands behind their partners' lower backs. Then, the whole group spins around clockwise. In this dance, female dancers take on the active "male" role. They switch partners, which reflects the slightly rebellious spirit of the traditional Women's Christmas celebration.

See also

• Chalking the door