Twelve Days of Christmas

Michael Chojnacki - professional speaker, trainer, and Aikido instructor - sent the following story in his AikiWay newsletter. I had never heard it and found it fascinating. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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A favorite Christmas carol is "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Though there are many versions to this song in Europe, the first known English version appeared in a tiny book called Mirth without Mischief, which was printed in 1780. During the Victorian period, it became not so much a song but a parlor game and those who could not remember the various gifts in succession surrendered a turn in the recital.

The song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," that we know today was first published in England in 1842. The presents for the first seven days of Christmas are all birds. The four colly birds (which was corrupted to "calling" birds) are blackbirds and the five gold rings refer to the five golden bands of the ring-necked pheasant. Although "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was known in the United States, it was rarely heard until the 1940s. Since that time it has become one of the most popular Christmas carols.

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Fun facts!

Judy R.