Confusion is rife as to when Christmas is formally over – and after exactly which evening decorations are said to bring you bad luck.

Christmas, which combines the marking of Jesus Christ’s birth with the old pagan date for mid-winter celebrations, formally begins on 25 December.

That and the following 11 days count as “Christmas”, with each day in the past celebrated for its own special reason – from commemorating St Stephen the martyr on the 26th to remembering the baby boys slain by King Herod on the 28th.

One of these days is celebrated as Twelfth Night – the last and final one of Christmas – and marks the coming of the Magi, or three wise men, to the baby Jesus on behalf of the rich and noble around the world.

A count of exactly 12 days from 25 December arrives at 5 January. According to the Church of England, Twelfth Night is 5 January, and the day of Epiphany – when the three wise men came – is 6 January.

But not everyone agrees. 

Some people count the 12 days of Christmas as starting after Christmas Day – making 6 January the Twelfth Night, and meaning the arrival of the three wise men should still strictly count as Christmas.

Others say “Twelfth Night” refers to the evening before the Twelfth Day, or Epiphany, on 6 January – making this the truly last day of Christmas.

Google Calendar places the Epiphany on 6 January but does not indicate when the “Twelfth Night” is.

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