The sixth day in each year is called Twelfth Day. That is a little odd
is it not? Well, the reason is this: In very ancient times there was a
great Christian Festival which began upon Christmas Day and lasted for
twelve days. It was called the Feast of the Nativity, because it was
held in honour of the coming of Christ to earth, and both the first day
of the feast and the last day were held very sacred. On the last, or
twelfth day, special honour was given to the Three Kings who are spoken
of in the New Testament as the Three Wise Men who came from the east to
Jerusalem, led by a star. The star guided these Three Kings to Bethlehem
where they saw the young child Jesus and offered gifts to him of gold,
frankincense and myrrh.
At first this feast, which we call Epiphany, was of a very solemn
nature, but in the Middle Ages it lost a great deal of its sacred
character. The festival of the Three Kings became noisy and
frolicsome, and sometimes it was arranged in the form of a little play.
In this play three friars or monks were dressed up like Kings, with
crowns upon their heads, and a golden star was carried before them.
Within the church, near the altar, a manger would be arranged with an ox
and an ass, in imitation of the manger at Bethlehem. Here, also, was the
child Christ and his mother. To them would enter the Three Kings,
accompanied by a merry crowd, and gifts were offered to the Babe--gold,
frankincense and myrrh. It was a pretty sight, perhaps, but not at all
devout.
In later times still, Twelfth Day was almost wholly given up to frolic
and feasting. Special plays were written to amuse the people, and it is
probably for that reason we have Shakspere's play called "Twelfth
Night." The chief custom of this merry day was the election of a King of
the Bean; sometimes there was also a Queen. No doubt this making of a
King had its connection with the honour done to the Three Kings in the
early festival; it may also be connected with an old Roman custom. Here
is how the King was elected on Twelfth Day. A large cake, called Twelfth
Cake, was baked for the day, and inside the cake a bean was placed.
When all the company were gathered to the feast the cake was cut up, and
the fortunate person who got the piece of cake with the bean in it was
made King of the Bean, and had charge of the revels. Sometimes the names
of the company were put in a bowl, and each one received a piece of the
cake as his or her name was drawn by lot.
There was much fun and laughter, you may be sure, as the names were
being drawn, the cake cut up, and the bean discovered. It is the kind of
fun which you children would have enjoyed. For the Twelfth Cake, in the
old days, was usually very large, baked into very queer shapes, and
always very nice to eat. Nowadays, the cakes upon Twelfth Day have
become much smaller, and in some households this merry day is forgotten
altogether. You will agree with me, children, that this is a mistake. It
is a mistake to forget the good old customs; and it is doubly a mistake
when the custom is made cheerful with laughter and cake.