In Pictures: Geffrye Museum marks Twelfth Night

Almost 600 local residents and visitors from across London wrapped up warm to attend the popular twilight Farewell to Christmas ceremony at the Geffrye Museum.

The event was held in the front garden of the museum of the home in Kingsland Road, Haggerston, on Wednesday January 6 for the 23rd year running.

Visitors enjoyed free mulled wine and a taste of Twelfth Night cake as they sang carols, listened to Epiphany stories read by an actor from Spectrum Drama, and the London Orpheum Brass Band performed carols and other Christmas tunes.

Gardeners from the museum burned greenery from the museum’s Christmas Past exhibition, which closed on Sunday and attracted a record 16,000 visitors.

An Epiphany ‘king and queen’ were chosen by putting a special Christmas chocolate in two slices of the Twelfth Night cake, just as people used to do with a dried pea and a dried bean when Epiphany was celebrated as part of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Traditionally, the chosen king and queen then got to rule the household for the evening, even if they were the servant or a child.