question about twelfth night

[cellio]

The oddest questions come into my mind sometimes. Today's came while reading an article about festivities of the day. I suspect I have both readers with the same question and readers with the answer, so I'll ask here. (Tried Wikipedia, tried Google.)

The feast of epiphany is on the 12th day of Christmas. The magi weren't there from the start; the star showed up on the day of Jesus's birth and, after seeing it, the magi spent some time getting there. (I don't know if that's in Christian scripture or tradition or what, but I understand it to be consensus.) Epiphany is the celebration of the magis' arrival.

The Christian bible tells us that Mary had to give birth in a stable because there was no room at the inn.

Every nativity scene I have ever seen shows the magi and everyone else crowded around the child -- in the stable.

Are we to understand that the family is held to have camped out there for 12 days? Or did artistic license get way out of hand and it wasn't worth the trouble to rein it in?

From what I've seen, these sorts of questions are less a part of Christian tradition than of Jewish tradition. So just to be clear lest I offend: this is sincere curiosity.

Comments

[foxxydancr.livejournal.com]

Yes, they showed up later. the 12 days is a convention developed to make it a part of the catholic calendar.

In my family's nativity set, the wise men and their camels always get put on the opposite side of whatever flat suurface the set is on until Jan 6, when they get moved. Of course, we also keep Jesus in the sugar bowl until christmas morning, so we're perhaps a little odd.

[cellio]

In my family's nativity set, the wise men and their camels always get put on the opposite side of whatever flat suurface the set is on until Jan 6, when they get moved.

What a cool idea!

Sugar bowl? Is this a comment on sweetness, or just safe storage until the proper day? :-)

[foxxydancr.livejournal.com]

oh, it's just a safe place where he won't get lost. it's just something we did once, and somehow it stuck, to the extent that in my brain, it's the only logical place!