Jan 13

Old Silvester

The change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar occurred in 1582. Silvester means "New Year’s Eve" in Switzerland where German is spoken. Old New Year’s Eve is Jan 13. See Dec 31 for New Silvester.

St. Knut's Day

Tjugondag Knut or St. Knut's Day marks the end of the Yuletide season in Sweden.

King Canute (or Knut), ruler of Denmark, England, and Norway in the eleventh century, said that there should be no fasting between Christmas and the end of the Epiphany Octave (the eighth day after Epiphany.)

In Sweden, after putting things away in their boxes, it is customary to hurl the tree through an open window.

In Norway, January 13 is Tyvendedagen, or Twentieth Day (the twentieth day after Christmas) but instead of throwing the tree out the window, it is burned in the fireplace.