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

On the 9th Day of Christmas…

The Ninth Day of Christmas gift of Nine Ladies Dancing are symbolic of the nine life principles: Love, Joy, Peace, Kindness, Goodness, Loyalty, Gentleness, Self-Control, and Patience.

“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 is known as the Advent.

So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry—you still have time! Well, four days that is. 

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team! 

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

Nine Ladies Dancing

Eight Maids A-Milking

Seven Swans A-Swimming

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 

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team! 

Some say the Nine Ladies Dancing represent the Nine-Day Novenas. A novena is made up of nine days of prayer and meditation for some thing or some guidance from God. Can you see “dance” in that word “guidance?”

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

The Daily Routines of Nine Famous Authors and the link with three more by James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. 

The Daily Routines of 12 Famous Writers by James Clear, author of Atomic Habits (sold more than 15 million copies and has been translated into more than 50 languages) is a fascinating blogpost and probably one of the more important blogposts for writers to read. He goes into great detail on how to apply daily routines to your writing life. I have purchased three copies of Atomic Habits myself. -Kiffer

1. E.B. White “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”
2. Haruki Murakami “The repetition itself becomes the important thing.”
3. Ernest Hemingway  “I write every morning.”
4. Henry Miller  “When you can’t create you can work.”
5. Jodi Picoult  “You can’t edit a blank page.”
6. Maya Angelou  “Easy reading is damn hard writing.”
7. Barbara Kingsolver “I have to write hundreds of pages before I get to page one.”
8. Nathan Englander “Turn off your cell phone.”
9. Karen Russell “Enjoy writing badly.”

Nine Self-Care Tips for Writers from Dena Weigel 

Nurturing your mind, body, and spirit ensures you’re working at your highest level. So get moving, relax, and reinvigorate your creative spirit!

For the Mind

1. Decide today when and what you’ll write tomorrow.

2. Rest your mind by getting a good night’s sleep.

3. Silence your inner critic.

For the Body

4. Assess your workspace and make it ergonomic and workable for you.

5. Write for 20 minutes, then get up and stretch your arms, back, and shoulders.

6. Good nutrition keeps your body well-fed so it can perform the job well.

For the Spirit

7. Be a rebel! Break a writing rule.

8. Meet another writer for coffee or a walk through a park.

9. Congratulate yourself for what you’ve already achieved!

We would like to invite you to join our curated online community The Roost!

We are so proud the community we have on The Roost!  It is great perch to hang out on for writers and publishers to hang out in and connect.

We host weekly write-ins, discussions of writing craft books, and advice on the author’s journey. With authors in all stages of the writing process joining us, there is always something to learn on this independent PRIVATE social media site.

Writing may seem like a solitary activity, but stories are told in community. Whether you find that on The Roost or elsewhere, we’re happy that you are a part of our community here at Chanticleer.

Limited Time Only! Join The Roost during the 12 Days at a discounted holiday price.

Sign up now for $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year.

Valid until January 6th.

Follow this link to find out more information. 

And just for fun: 

We now have: 

• Nine Partridges and Nine Pear Trees
• Sixteen Turtle Doves
• Twenty-one French Hens
• Twenty-four Calling Birds
• Twenty-Five Golden Rings 
• Twenty-four Geese-a-Laying 
• Twenty-one Swans-a-Swimming 
• Sixteen Maids a-Milking
• Nine Ladies Dancing

It is starting to get crowded in here! 

Our favorite part about having the 12 Days of Christmas is that we can have the time we need to celebrate with our loved ones. We have time for wrapping presents, meeting with friends for hot cocoa, and continuing to prepare for the Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2023 CIBA Banquet and Ceremony.

Wishing you Happy New Year from Chanticleer! from Kiffer, Sharon, David, Dena, Vilina, Scott, Anya, and Argus!

Stay tuned for the 10th Day of Christmas!