The REAL Twelve Days of Christmas

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December 4, 2025 • 6 mins

Did you know the Tudors didn’t end Christmas on 25th December… they started it? I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s episode of my Tudor Christmas Advent series, we’re walking through the true Twelve Days of Christmas, a world of church services, feasts, fasting, wine, charity, misrule, and community traditions that modern Christmas barely resembles. In this video, you’ll learn:

Why Christmas Day was all about worship — not feasting
Why no work (not even spinning!) was allowed throughout the 12 days
How St Stephen’s Day involved charity… AND horse-bleeding and hunting
Why 27 December was the Tudor excuse for endless wine
Why Childermas was the most solemn, and sometimes unsettling, day
Why New Year’s Day gift-giving was the most political moment of the season
How Twelfth Night was celebrated
Why the fun abruptly ended with Plough Monday and St Distaff’s Day

This is the Christmas season the Tudors actually lived — rich, ritual-filled, joyful, sometimes strange, and endlessly fascinating. If you’re enjoying my Tudor Advent series, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell, there’s more Tudor Christmas magic every day until 24 December! #TudorChristmas #12DaysOfChristmas #TudorHistory #ChristmasTraditions #ClaireRidgway #HistoryYouTube #MedievalChristmas #TwelfthNight #StStephensDay #Childermas #PloughMonday

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}The REAL Twelve Days of Christmas