The words to this beloved children's song have been decorated with 14 large, bright illustrations. The Twelve Days of Christmas traditionally began on Christmas Day and ended on January 5th. Twelfth Night, the eve of Feast of the Epiphany, was observed as the last day of the Christmas festivities. The words to this 12-verse round were first published in 1780 and most likely originated in France. The music for the English Christmas Carol was composed by Frederic Austin in 1909.