In Ireland “on Twelve Eve in Christmas, they use to set up as high as they can a sieve of oats, and in it a dozen of candles set round, and in the centre one larger, all lighted. This in memory of our Saviour and his Apostles, light of the world.”--Sir Henry Piers’ _Description of the County of Westmeath_, 1682, in Vallancey’s _Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis_, vol. i. No. 1, p. 124. JAN. 6.] TWELFTH DAY. _THE EPIPHANY._ In its character as a popular festival, Twelfth Day stands only inferior to Christmas. The leading object held in view is to do honour to “the three wise men,” or, as they are more generally denominated, “the three kings.” It is a Christian custom, ancient past memory, and probably suggested by a paean custom, to indulge in a pleasantry called the _Election of kings by beans_. Some, however, maintain it to have been derived from the custom observed by the Roman children, who, at the end of their saturnalia, drew lots with beans, to see who would be king. In England in later times, a large cake was made, with a bean or silver penny inserted, and this was called _Twelfth-cake_. The family and friends being assembled, the cake was divided by lot, and whoever got the piece containing the bean was accepted as the king for the day, and called King of the Bean. It appears also that there was always a queen as well as a king on Twelfth-Night. A writer, speaking of the celebration in the South of England in 1774, says: “After tea a cake is produced with two bowls containing the fortunate chances for the different sexes. The host fills up the tickets, and the whole company, except the king and queen, are to be ministers of state, maids of honour, or ladies of the bed-chamber. Often the host and hostess, more by design than accident, become king and queen. According to Twelfth Day law, each party is to support his character till midnight.” In the sixteenth century it would appear that some peculiar ceremonies followed the election of the king and queen. Barnaby Googe, in his paraphrase of the curious poem of Naogeorgus, _The Popish Kingdom_, 1570, states that the king, on being elected, was raised up with great cries to the ceiling, where with chalk he inscribed crosses on the rafters to protect the house against evil spirits.--_Book of Days_, 1863, vol. i. p. 62. See also _Every Day Book_, 1827, vol. i. p. 51. Herrick, the poet of our festivals, has several allusions to the celebration of this day of our ancestors, as may be seen in the subjoined poem: “TWELFE-NIGHT, OR KING AND QUEENE. “Now, now the mirth comes With the cake full of plums, Where beane’s the king of the sport here; Besides, we must know, The pea also Must revell, as queene, in the court here. Begin then to chuse (This night as ye use) Who shall for the present delight here, Be a king be the lot, And who shall not Be Twelfe-day queene for the night here.