Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas – One Day at a Time

“But Jiminy Crickets, it’s after December 25th! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.

Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The four weeks leading up to Christmas are known as Advent.

Some say that December 25th is the first day of Christmas, but we are going with the medieval date of the 26th because revelry could not take place on the 25th as it was a holy day. And the Twelve Days of Christmas are about revelry!

So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry—you’ve got an extra 6 days!

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team! 

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me

Six Geese A-Laying

Five Golden Rings

Four Calling Birds

Three French hens (Chanticleer’s favorite #justsaying)

Two turtle doves

And a partridge in a pear tree 

International Christmas Traditions – The Sixth Day of Christmas is also known as New Year’s Eve!

Brazil – Everyone in Brazil wears white on Christmas Eve for good luck and peace!

Japan – Shogatsu or visiting a local temple to exchange last year’s lucky charms for new ones. 

Denmark – At midnight, Danes will jump off a chair or sofa to literally jump into the new year. It is considered good luck to do so!

Various countries: Eating lucky foods is tradition on New Year’s Eve

The French usher in the New Year with a stack of pancakes.

 In the Netherlands, people eat doughnuts and ring-shaped foods.

In Spain, Portugal, and much of Latin America, for example, it’s 12 grapes or raisins, and in Italy, 12 spoonfuls of lentils—one with each of the 12 chimes of the clock at midnight.

What are your good luck traditions for New Year’s Eve? 

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…

Six Beta Readers!

Beta Readers are crucial to understanding your book better. Like an MOV, Beta Readers are helpful once you have finished your book and are happy with what you’ve written (often two or three drafts in). They will help you spot any plot holes and inconsistencies in your work. The best Beta Readers give you a little feedback on your work that goes beyond “I liked it,” and they are frequently not writers themselves, but test subjects in your target audience.