12 Days of Christmas?

[talon]

According to a co-worker, yesterday was the First Day of Christmas

A clue by four isn't big enough.

Even I, a non-Christian, know that Christmas starts on Christmas Day (December 25 for those who forgot) and extends through the Epiphany (January 6th for those who didn't pay attention in school or church)

The way the Christian Liturgical year goes is: Advent, which begins 4 Sundays before Christmas *hence the Advent calendars and candle wreaths), Christmas, the 12 days of Christmas (not generally celebrated anymore), Epiphany, the Mardi Gras festivities that begin with the Epiphany and end on Fat Tuesday.

Lent begins that Wednesday and extends through Easter. Then there are assorted "lesser" holy days celebrated by different denominations of Christians: St. Valentine's, St. Patrick's, All Saints Day, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and then the various feasts and saints' days.

I've never attended church outside of weddings, funerals, and First Communions for friends and their children, and I learned all this just from those. One would think actual, self-proclaimed Christians would know at least as much.