New Year's Day and Thirteenth Day of Christmas

That four New Year's Day and the thirteenth day is a matter of course for very many people. But its cultural and historical origins are not always completely obvious. Although they have origins that do not necessarily have to do with each other, they form a basic framework in how we both end and meet the new year.

We have taken a closer look at the thirteenth day of Christmas and New Year's Day.

Epiphany

The thirteenth day of Christmas got its name because it takes place on the thirteenth day after Christmas. Thus, it usually occurs on January 6th. In addition to being one of the church's most important festivals, it is also a holiday in many countries. The day intends to celebrate the day when it was revealed that Jesus was the Son of God.

How is the thirteenth day of Christmas celebrated?

• In Sweden, the day often goes unnoticed. But many other countries have a position that corresponds to our Christmas Eve, with gifts and socializing.

• Many in Sweden have recently chosen to celebrate the day with good food.

Although the thirteenth day often takes place without special celebration, it is an important Christian holiday that is part of our common cultural heritage.

New Year's Day

New Year's Day is the day to mark the definitive start of a new year. It takes place on January 1 and is thus the first calendar day of the year. It is a holiday in most countries around the world and has paradoxically been given the status of being the day to clean up the mess from the New Year celebrations.

What is unique about New Year's Day is that it is a result of pre-Christian traditions combined with Roman and Christian elements. Therefore, it is a holiday that in a way has no really concrete common thread. But despite this, it continues to be a holiday that consists of both cleaning and a rapture that a new year has begun.

Good Friday and Easter Monday

In Christian tradition, Good Friday and the second day of Easter are two very important festivals that are both essential in the attention of Jesus. But even in the secularized world, these days in many places have the status of an official full day.

Despite the fact that they are holidays, the celebrations in many countries have more or less not taken place. What is unique is that the weekends in some places are barely noticed, while in other places they involve very large events.

Here is a little more information about what Easter Monday and Good Friday are really about.

Good Friday

Good Friday is basically a Christian holiday that takes place in memory of Jesus' crucifixion. It takes place on the Friday before Easter, and has as its original idea to focus on the suffering that Jesus went through in connection with the crucifixion. In Sweden, it took until the 17th century before it became a holiday.

Good Friday's date varies greatly from year to year, and that is why it is said to occur on the very Friday before Easter. In many countries, Good Friday is celebrated with a symbolic crucifixion. In connection with this, there is also a longer period of fasting.

For Sweden, on the whole, Good Friday has been a low-key holiday that is not really celebrated beyond church circles. Internationally, however, it has been considerably more tangible.

Easter Monday

Easter Monday is also a public holiday in many countries. It is celebrated on the first Monday after Easter. In the USA, on the other hand, Easter Day has a special position as it is not a state-wide holiday. Therefore, the celebration differs greatly in different places.

The second day of Easter is originally a day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, the celebration has a historical anchorage in the service. It would probably not be too unfair to say that the second day of Easter is mainly noticed by the people who regularly visit the church.