Twelfth Night is the last day of Christmas when it is traditional to take down all the Christmas cards and decorations and can bring bad luck if they are left up.
Twelfth Night is a festival in some branches of Christianity which marks the beginning of Epiphany. A count of exactly 12 days from 25 December arrives at January 5th. According to the Church of England, this day is Twelfth Night.
The day of Epiphany – when the three wise men came – is the day after, on January 6th.
Not everyone agrees however. Many other Christian groups count the 12 days of Christmas as starting the day after Christmas Day – making January 6th the Twelfth Night. Countries which also follow the January 6 tradition include Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.