Wassail Party on Twelfth Night
Today is Twelfth Night, but your menfolk probably won't be celebrating like this. It's no wonder Americans feel so depleted after Christmas-- all that anticipation for the holiday and then we cram everything into just a few hours on December 25th. In olden times it seems like winter was a long string of merrymaking opportunities from All Hallows Eve until Lent. Sure, farm people worked hard in season, but they had more leisure time in the winter.
The Christmas festival of eating and drinking didn't end until the conclusion of the twelve days of Christmas on January 5th, or Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night is a religious holiday that marks the arrival of the three kings to the birthplace of Christ and the Epiphany tomorrow. On Twelfth Night, the tree and wreaths would finally be taken down and any edible decorations such as fruit and nuts consumed.
In some places Twelfth Night marks the start of carnival season which lasts through Mardi Gras Day. In New Orleans, where they still know how to have a good time, friends gather for weekly King Cake parties. Whoever gets a slice with the "king" (usually a miniature plastic baby doll) gets to host the next party.
New Orleans King Cake
You won't find anything this gaudy and wonderful in a Seattle bakery, but it's a cheerful looking thing for a dull January night.
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