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It is interesting to note that the twelve days of Christmas are not the twelve days prior to Christmas but rather the time period between Christmas and the offset of Epiphany. In other words, it is the span of time between 25th December and 6th of January, the time which marks the arrival of the Magi or the three Wise Men with gifts for the newly born Christ.
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So, the custom of giving twelve days of Christmas gifts originates from this great event and being carried over for a number of centuries, is prevalent even today in most of the Christian families. In fact, it also reminds us of the celebrations of Hanukkah in which presents are showered on little ones on each and every day of the festival. Talking about the twelve days of Christmas gifts, the first thing that comes in our mind is the popular English Christmas carol, 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', the song which lists in detail the gifts that "my true love" presents to "me" on each of the twelve days of Christmas. Here we bring for your perusal an elaborate list of the gift items enumerated in the song, so that you can think of the contemporary counterparts of such gifts to animate your near and dear ones this season.
- 1 partridge in a pear tree
- 2 turtle doves
- 3 French hens
- 4 calling birds
- 5 gold rings
- 6 geese a-laying
- 7 swans a-swimming
- 8 maids a-milking
- 9 ladies dancing
- 10 lords a-leapin'
- 11 pipers piping
- 12 drummers drumming
However, the gifts that are referred to in the song may seem impossible for you to get hold of. So, go for a humorous version of those twelve days of Christmas gifts and take your friends and families completely by surprise this Christmas. Some of the ideas are provided here for you to explore while selecting and deciding upon the twelve days of Christmas gifts this year.
- A 15 ounce can of pears with the label of a partridge on the 1st day
- A 3- slice bar of turtle candy of 1.76 ounce along with a 1.30 ounce bar of Dove chocolate on the 2nd day
- A 10.5 ounce can of Chicken noodle soup instead of three French hens on the 3rd day
- A paper pad and a few pencils on the 4th day with a short poem attached to it like the one provided below:
"The calling birds have all flown away.
They're visiting the South to see the view.
Instead of a call, they left these few things,
Some pencils and paper- their gift to you."
- On the 5th day, 20 ounce can of pineapple slices
- White chocolate eggs into an attractive box on the 6th day
- A bag stuffed with swan-shaped sugar cookies for the 7th day
- A Milk Duds candy box of 1.85 ounce with a brusque verse attached to it like the one given here.
"The maids were all milking,
Milk foaming like suds.
And then they all vanished
Just leaving 'Milk Duds'".
- A beautiful handmade crocheted ballet slipper on the 9th day as a souvenir of any of the 9 ladies dancing
- 10 bars of Star Burst candy on the 10th day
- On the 11th day, a bubble pipe and a bubble solution
- On the 12th day a drum container filled with small candies like red hots or M&Ms
To grab more exciting ideas about the twelve days of Christmas gifts, keep flipping through the pages of
Christmasonnet
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