In this country, most folks celebrate Christmas with an exchange of gifts on Christmas Day. Others take a little longer to do their celebrating.

While times have changed somewhat, Christmas traditionally has been celebrated as a 12-day holiday.

The holiday period would begin at midnight Christmas morning and extend through the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6.

Actually, if you include the feast day, it would be a 13-day, 12-night holiday, with the Feast of the Epiphany long referred to as Twelfth Night.

At any rate, Twelfth Night is recognized as the time the Wise Men reached the baby Jesus and brought him gifts.

Because of that, many people exchange their presents at the end of the Christmas period, rather than at the beginning.

Others do so throughout the 12 days.

And it's customary for some revelers to leave their Christmas decorations in place the entire holiday.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

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