On The First Day of Christmas

     I was thinking about the song The Twelve Days of Christmas and I began wondering how a person would survive as a gift-giver under such stress.  I don't know about you, but my purse strings would be gravely  strained by having to come up with enough ideas for multiple Christmas gifts.  In fact, with the economy being what it is, my purse already gives off only a very faint sound of Jing, instead of Jingle. 


     Fortunately, as a child, I took this song to heart.  I thought there was some kind of unwritten law that said I had to be prepared in case the need for a dozen gifts should ever arise.  Naturally, my economic situation was pretty much the same then as it has always been, so I very wisely created a full dozen gifts that could comfortably be given without causing undue pain to the pocketbook.  :-)  Now, don't you just think I was such a clever child?


     In case you wish to actually give gifts for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas, I will post one idea each day until Christms Eve.  There are more than twelve days until Christmas, so this should help you to have different ideas for different people on your list.  After all, you wouldn't want to give the same gifts to everyone, now, would you?


     With that in mind, here is the first gift: 

A poem is where you'll want to start

To give a gift that's from the heart.

     I do hope that this will help with the love you show this year and many years to come.  See you tomorrow?

The Twelve Days of Christmas

     On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... seven swans a swimming.  Have you ever thought about the meaning of that song?  Do you know when the seventh day of Christmas is?  According to legend, the seventh day of Christmas falls on January 1st.  Here's how it works:  the first day of Christmas begins on the evening of Christmas day and continues through until the 26th.  Day two is the 27th and so on. 


     Epiphany, or the 6th of January, is the twelvth day of Christmas.  That is, unless you go by the Eastern Orthodox Calendar, in which case, gifts are given on January 7th and Epiphany, or Theophany, is observed on January 19th.  Its actually very interesting the way it works out, but far more complicated than I could ever begin to explain.  If you'd like to read up on it yourself, go to this link and you may be quite surprised at what you learn.


     So the next time you hear the The Twelve Days of Christmas playing, consider how much history is actually involved.  For myself, I always thought that the Twelve Days of Christmas started either December 1st or twelve days before Christmas Day.  How 'bout you?