Listen to or download this article:

Dear Chanticleerians,

I am writing this Chanticleer message on Christmas Eve morning before starting to prepare for our traditional Le Réveillon de Noel dinner this evening. And, yes, we are starting with local oysters, Olympias, from Taylor Shellfish on Chuckanut Bay for the first course. If you come out for CAC24, be sure to add this place to your must-go list.

Meanwhile, Argus and I are listening to KUVO Jazz Cancion Mexicana. This is a Sunday morning tradition for us now for more than three decades. We started listening to the radio station (that plays the best music from Mexico, New Mexico, Tejano, California, and Colorado) when we lived in Colorado. Now, thanks to streaming, we can listen to it wherever we are in the world. However, it is even a more fun listen while cooking and doing chores on Christmas Eve morning as they are playing their Christmas list of my favorite songs such as RUN RUN RUDOLPH by Los Lonely Boys. I can’t help but dance around the kitchen when I’m listening to KUVO.

The Swedish candelabra lights are on. The Abominable Snowman (my fav Christmas character from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer) is on the Christmas tree. Some packages have been wrapped and mailed and given. Some have not—yet!

There are so many wonderful traditions and even new ones to add like Jolabokaflod, an Icelandic tradition. Many Icelanders give books as Christmas gifts as part of Jolabokaflod, and from Christmas Eve until New Years there is an unspoken reading frenzy. And, of course, knitting also goes along with this beloved tradition and so does hot chocolate! If you want to read more about Jolabokaflod, click on this link. 


So what to do? How do we fit in Jolabokaflod on Christmas Eve with dinner guests coming and presents still needing to be wrapped. And, and, and…

My suggestion after years of scrambling around trying to fit everything in my Christmas Eve, is to take advantage of the  Twelve Days of Christmas that start on December 26th and continues to January 6th. The four weeks leading up to Christmas is known as the Advent.

So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry—you’ve got an extra 12 days!

You can choose a different night to enjoy Jolabokaflod and hot chocolate! I say the same for NaNoWriMo in November. It is practically impossible for me to participate in November. But, July or August would work just fine.

  • Some say the Twelve Days tradition is wishing good luck and cheer for each of the following months in the new year.
  • Others say the first six of the days are to pay homage to the previous year and six of the days that are in the new year bringing hope and glad tidings for coming times.
  • The Twelve Days of Christmas would be a welcome break for those who worked the land.

The twelve days of Christmas run from December 26th until January 6th (Three Kings Day).

In Portugal, it is a Christmas tradition that starts on the 26th until Epiphany, that small groups of people will go door to door in their neighborhoods singing songs. Usually the singers are accompanied by instruments. Sometimes they are in traditional dress, sometimes not. They typically open with a song to ask the resident for food and/or drink, and then continue about the birth of Jesus, good wishes for a happy new year, and for drinks and treats. If a resident doesn’t treat the singers well or refuses to open his door, they may sing songs jokingly mocking them. If the singers are treated well, they will sing about how handsome and beautiful the hosts are and how generous and nice they are.

The Portuguese troubadouring does not take place until after Christmas Day and continues on to Three Kings Day also known as Epiphany. I want to add this tradition to my celebrations to experience.

In Spain and many Latin American countries, gift giving and exchange is January 6th, where Santa Claus gifts to children are opened on Christmas Day.

In Italy, La Befana comes on January 5th. She likes to be left a glass of wine and some antipasto. The children find her gifts on January 6th.

I’d love to hear about your Yuletide Traditions! 

For now, I must start cooking for this evening Christmas Eve dinner. As always, there is much to do for tonight. And, I have given myself permission not to worry about the unwrapped presents, cookies that need to be made, and calling on friends and family. I have more than twelve more days! And sometime in the new year of 2024, I am going to celebrate Jolabokaflod. – Kiffer

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays and Yuletide Greetings!

We will start posting our Twelve Days of Christmas articles starting on December 26th.