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Home , Twelve Days of Christmas

Twelve Days of Family Activities Compiled by Terri Bullock, DRE The celebrates the season of Christmas over a span of twelve days. The Twelve Days of Christmas begin on December 25 and end on 5, the day before the feast of the (which celebrates the day when the magi visited ). In the sixteenth century, the religious wars in England made it dangerous to be a Catholic. Some believe that the well-known song, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, was used to teach Catholic children about their faith. Although the lyrics may sound like nonsense, the song is said to contain hidden references. Below are the hidden references followed by some suggestions for family activities to do safely during the Twelve Days of Christmas. (P. S. Leave your up through the Christmas season!)

First Day (December 25) - A Partridge in a Pear Tree - Jesus  Merry Christmas! Celebrate together then add baby Jesus to your Nativity.  Retell the Christmas story - Have the kids tell it in their own words or read it from the bible (try Luke 2: 1-20).  Make some popcorn and watch ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’.

Second Day () - Two Turtle Doves - The Old and New Testaments  Pick out an old toy and a new toy (perhaps something you just got for Christmas) and donate them to a women’s shelter.

Third Day (December 27) - Three French Hens - The Three Theological Virtues (Faith, Hope, and Love)  After celebrating Mass, pray an Our Father and 3 Hail Mary’s praying to be filled with faith hope and love.  In the evening, bundle up and go for a walk enjoying all the in your neighborhood. Before you leave, come up with three things to hunt for, such as Santa, a star, and a snowman. Maybe even sing a as you walk.

Fourth Day () - Four Calling Birds - The Four (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)  Call - better yet, FaceTime – family members you were not able to see on Christmas because of the pandemic  Call a friend you haven’t been able to see or haven’t seen in awhile

Fifth Day () - Five Golden Rings - The First Five Books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)  Make silver-dollar sized pancakes for breakfast (or dinner!), giving each family member 5 pancakes  Each family member chooses 5 things to donate to a shelter, or donate canned goods to a food pantry

Sixth Day (December 30) - Six Geese A-Laying - The Six Days of Creation  If weather permits, go for a hike and collect things to create a center piece for New Year’s Eve, such as pine cones, holly branches, evergreen branches, etc. If you can’t get outside, find things around the house to use.

Seventh Day () - Seven Swans A-Swimming - The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord) Or the Seven Sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Marriage)  Have a picnic in the living room while watching your favorite movie.  Together as a family, make appetizers for a family New Year’s Eve party and watch the ball drop. (Have younger kids – create your own “ball drop” using a balloon and drop it whenever it’s time for bed!)

Eighth Day () - Eight Maids A-Milking - The Eight Beatitudes  After celebrating Mass (Mary, Holy Mother of God), enjoy a cup of hot chocolate together. Don’t forget the marshmallows!  Bake a batch of brownies (or visit your favorite bakery!) and enjoy with a glass of milk.

Ninth Day () - Nine Ladies Dancing - The Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control)  Turn up the music and have a dance party! Make it a mystery dance party by turning on music periodically throughout the morning or afternoon. When you hear the music everyone stops and dances till the music goes off.  Make up a fruit basket and take it to someone special.

Tenth Day (January 3) - Ten Lords A-Leaping - The Ten Commandments  Celebrate Mass  Have a family game night  Lay out couch cushions and see how many you can leap over  Work a puzzle together

Eleventh Day (January 4) - Eleven Pipers Piping - The Eleven Faithful Apostles (Peter, Andrew, James the Elder, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the Younger, Simon, and Jude)  Tree still up? Have a slumber party around the Christmas tree, leaving the tree lights on all night.  Read some of your favorite Christmas books.  Play “Name that Tune”; hum Christmas songs to see if others can guess the song.

Twelfth Day () - Twelve Drummers Drumming - Twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed  Finish the Christmas story telling when the Magi came to visit Jesus (Read Matthew 2: 9-11)  Snow on the ground? Make a snowman together.  Cut out 12 point paper snowflakes. (Pattern can be found at https://www.firstpalette.com/pdf/snowflake2.pdf)