12 Days of Christmas - History and Ideas for Celebrations
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History of The Twelve Days of Christmas
Where did the familiar Christmas carol The Twelve Days of Christmas come from? What are the twelve days of Christmas?
The twelve days are the days from Christmas (December 25) to the Epiphany (January 6). It is said that in England between 1558 and 1829, Catholics were prohibited by law from practicing their faith in any way.
The 12 Days of Christmas
Here's what each verse was supposed to mean:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree - Jesus Christ
2 Turtle Doves - The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens - Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds - the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings - The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying - the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming - the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking - the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing - the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping - the Ten Commandments
11 Pipers Piping - the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming - the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed
Read on to find out how you can celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with your loved ones!
12 Days of Christmas Ideas
Debbie Mumm 12 Days Of Christmas: Create Warmth and Elegance With Gift, Decorating and Quilting Ideas
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Before and After Christmas
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Rosanna 12 Days of Christmas Appetizer Plates, Set of 12
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The Hawaiian Twelve Days of Christmas
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THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
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Christmas Morning Rituals
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Who doesn't remember the thrill of getting up on Christmas morning and racing to the Christmas tree to see what Santa brought us? After that, there was a great breakfast and trips to grandparents and other relatives. My mom always got out...
Classic 12 Days of Christmas Video!
12 Days of Christmas for Your True Love
Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas today probably won't involve ten lords-a-leaping, but you can give your true love a taste of the twelve days by using your own creativity. It doesn't have to be expensive, just thoughtful.Here are some 12 Days of Christmas romantic ideas for him or her:
1st Day - One hour-long backrub after a long, hectic day of work. Don't skimp - get some massage oil and set the mood so they can relax!
Chicago Metallic 12 Days of Christmas Cookie, Candy, Shortbread, and Springerle Mold
3rd - Three romance novels by her favorite author wrapped up with a pretty ribbon or for him, three of his favorite DVDs to keep him in a cheerful mode gearing up toward the holidays.
4th - Four chocolate dipped strawberries hand-fed to him or her with long, sensuous kisses in between.
5th - A delicious five-course meal you prepare yourself using one of today's modern cookbook.
6th - 6 romantic MP3 Downloads that you secretly add to their iPod that show what they mean to you.
7th - 7 special scented candles for a romantic evening (they can be as small as tealight candles). Whip up a romantic meal and let the candles set the mood for what's to come.
8th - 8 video downloads they can grab for the next time they have to sit and wait for a long time.
9th - Nine new pairs of earrings, 5 new neckties or other adornments they can accessorize with during the workweek.
10th - 10 romantic coupons that are perfect for initiating intimacy.
11th - Eleven bubble bath ornaments you use to create a romantic bath just for two!
12th - A silver charm bracelet with 12 tiny charms on it. Or for girls to give their guy - how about a 12-month calendar you make using a create your own calendar kit of sexy pictures of you that he can lust over?
This obviously doesn't follow the song exactly in numbers of items or types of items, but you get the idea. You can do something really different and special for your true love with some creative thought, and they will love it!
12 Days of Christmas Music
The 12 Days of Christmas
Release Date: 10/04/1999
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Bing Crosby Christmas (Good King Wenceslas / 12 Days Of Christmas / Santa Claus' First Christmas / Silent Night)
Release Date: 07/06/2000
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Noel
Release Date: 10/09/2007
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Let It Snow
Release Date: 10/08/2007
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A Christmas Celebration
Release Date: 10/03/2006
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Christmas Game Fun for All!
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One way to get into the spirit of the holiday season is to play a Christmas game, and with most everything nowadays available on the World Wide Web, it’s no surprise that more online Christmas games are popping up each year. Have you ever snuck...
How to Celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas with Your Kids
Kids love the holidays, and the more there is to learn and do, the happier they are. Why not incorporate the 12 Days of Christmas for Kids into your celebrations this year?The twelve days are the days between Christmas and the Epiphany, when the Magi visited Christ in his manger.
You can enjoy this time period with your little ones in a couple different ways. You can tell the story of Jesus' birth and the Three Kings search for him. And you will want to sing the song with your children of course.
Kids love this song and remembering all the lyrics. You can show them fun hand and body motions to do too. It's said that this song was created to help Catholic children learn the tenets of their faith at a time when Catholics were persecuted in England.
Thus, the nonsensical lyrics, they had to use a kind of "code." Family members can give small gifts for each of the twelve days, too. They can be specifically themed to go with the song lyrics, but they don't have to.
Finally, on the twelfth day, you can again tell the story of the Three Kings visit to the manger, as a wonderful wrap-up to the holidays!
More Great 12 Days of Christmas Gear for Kids
Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas Treasury for Kids: A Story a Day from December 1st through Christmas for Kids and Their Families
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The 12 Days of Christmas Anniversary Edition: A Pop-up Celebration
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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS 7-12 Christmas Candy Mold Chocolate
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Elmo 12 Days of Christmas
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One Dozen (12) Rubber Ducky CHRISTMAS MICE Holiday Mouse Ducks ~ Party Favors
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Christmas Decoration for the Home and the Heart
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Very few things are capable of holding and keeping more memories than a Christmas decoration. Over the years, your Christmas tree becomes a scrapbook of sorts as new ornaments that celebrate life stages and events are added. Fortunately, t...
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Best Toys for Toddlers
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UPDATE: The WaterWheel Play Table (see link right below this article) is poised to be the #1 Holiday seller this year for boys and girls of the toddler age group. And word is, they'll be hard to find locally - so order online now! Toys for toddl...
12 Days of Christmas on Wikipedia!
The Twelve Days of Christmas, and the associated evenings of those twelve days (Twelve-tide), are the festive days beginning on Christmas Day (December 25) through to the evening of the Twelfth Day of Christmas, (January 5). Thus, the first night of Christmas is December 25?26 and Twelfth Night is January 5-6. This period is also known as Christmastide. The day after Twelfth Night is Epiphany on January 6.
Over the centuries, differing churches and sects of Christianity have changed the actual traditions, time frame and their interpretations. St. Stephen's Day (or Boxing Day), for example, is December 26 in the Western Church and December 27 in the Eastern Church. Boxing Day, the first weekday after Christmas, is observed as a legal holiday in parts of the Commonwealth of Nations and was traditionally marked by the giving of Christmas boxes to service workers (such as postal workers and trades people) in the United Kingdom; December 28 is Childermas or the Feast of the Innocents. Currently, the 12 days and nights are celebrated in widely varying ways around the world. For example, some give gifts only on Christmas Night, some only on Twelfth Night and some each of the 12 nights.
Do You Play Out the 12 Days of Christmas with Someone You Love?
Rokusan wrote...
What a great lens! I didn't know the history, or the meaning behind each of the verses. Thanks for creating this lens and sharing the history.
I am starting my own lens about Christmas today, and was in search of three great lenses to add to the discovery tool. Yours is definitely one of the three!
Posted June 28, 2008
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