After that long period of self-denial, they were ready to let loose over Christmas, which was celebrated for a full 12 days between Dec. 25 and Epiphany on Jan. 6.
In the Middle Ages, carols were full song-and-dance numbers that frequently featured suggestive lyrics and gestures.
King Alfred the Great (849-899) outlawed all but the most essential work during those 12 days, and for centuries afterward, Britons at every level of society made the most of their extended holiday by spending days at a time feasting, drinking and carousing.
Our Christmas sucks
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