At Christmas time, people often sing the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," but few know fo the rich Christmas symbols behind the words of the song. Everybody thinks that "The Twelve Days of Christmas" were the days preceding the Christmas festival. In reality, Epiphany is the time of the Christian celebration that starts December 25 and lasts until January 6, a duration of 12 days. This marks the Church's celebration of Jesus as the Light of the world and its remebrance of the pilgrimage of the three wise men.
Every day, from December 25 to January 6, was traditionally a part of the Yuletide celebration. Dedicated to mercy and compassion, each day was noted by selfless giving and tender charity. In many cultures, gift giving was not concentrated on a single day, but rather, as in the famous folk song, spread throughout the entire season.
From 1558 until 1829, the Church in England was not allowed to practice their faith openly. During that era "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written as a catechism that could be sung in public without the risk of persecution. The words to the song are, in essence, an allegory. The words have two levels of interpretation: the literal meaning and the figurative meaning known only to members of the Church.
Each element in the carol is a word for a religious reality. The "true love" represents God and "me" is the group called to receive these gifts as a Christian. On the first day, the partridge in a pear tree is symbolic of Jesus Christ coming to earth to save men.
See if you can discover the rest of the religious meaning as you read the words to the song:
On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me A partridge in a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
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, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
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, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
How did you do?
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Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article as long as you don't make changes and include the bio below.
Kerry Beck gives free advent calendars with daily Christmas projects to prepare your family for Christmas. Your family will learn a lot about Epiphanythrough many of her projects. You can get her FREE Advent calendar countdown at http://www.ChristmasCelebrationIdeas.com.
For the past several years, I have been helping parents train their children to be leaders, instead of followers. I believe it is imperative that Christians teach their children to become future leaders who can make wise Biblical decisions.
I believe in this so strongly that I want to show you how to do EXACTLY what I do and how I do it it!
That is why I am hosting a LIVE webinar just for you!
Here are just a few secrets I will be revealing on Thursday…
Simple techniques to train your children “how to think”
One method to develop a LOVE OF LEARNING
Two stages in LAYING THE FOUNDATION for your children to become a leader
Three tips to INSTILL THE CHARACTER OF A LEADER AT A YOUNG AGE
How you can begin this school right with your own children
How & Where you can start to raise your kids to be leaders, not followers
One activity you can do EACH DAY to instill a LIFELONG LOVE OF LEARNING
How you can EASILY BECOME A MENTOR to your own children this year
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES of leaders and leaders-in-training that you can follow
Bottom Line …
On this 70-minute Webinar, you’ll discover more about how to give your kids a SUPERIOR education so they think critically for themselves and will make wise decisions as future leaders of tomorrow ..than you’ve ever heard anyone reveal before!
It’s happening THIS Thursday, September 3 at 6:00PM (PacificTime) especially for you, my valued clients and subscribers.
Right now, over 248 people have already claimed their spots…which means only 152 spaces are left. It’s filling up quickly…so make sure you register below while you still have time!
P.S. - As always, I will have special content that ONLY the LIVE ATTENDEES will see. AND a special offer that ONLY the LIVE ATTENDEES will be able to take advantage of. These will NOT be on the replay. Just wanted to give you a heads up. http://budurl.com/rlnf
When you see your child working more independently, the best learning strategies will include projects that he can complete on his own. Please don't dictate to him the project he should complete. This just develops a future follower. You are the expert on your child and I'm sure you know subject areas that interest him. Begin by sitting down with him and discuss a project based on that area of interest.
For instance, your child loves animals. Take some time to talk about an animal or group of animals that he can study. Go to the library and find books on the chosen animal. Encourage your child to read and write about the animal. Be sure you allocate a specific amount of time each day for studies, possibly an hour or two. Each day discuss your child's finding.
Let your child choose a project or learning activities elated to those studies: painting, drawing, writing a play, writing a report, building a model, writing a poem, or whatever interests your child. Gather homeschool resources that your child can use in these projects.
As your child is able to continue studying independently, let him shift to the next level of leadership education. If he becomes overwhelmed, let him move back to the love of learning strategies where he can receive more instruction from you.
________________
Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
Kerry Beck, author of Raising Leaders, Not Followers, has a free workshop that offers more learning strategies for pre-teens. To get your copy of this workshop, click on this link . . . http://www.Raising-Leaders.com.
The goal of leadership education is wisdom and independent learning. During this period of your child’s education, you will solidify their own learning strategies, as well as the desire for enduring education.
What's the best teaching technique to use in this time of high school homeschool? Structure the time, not the content! In other words, allow your kids the chance to choose his course of study, the content. If your son is interested in motorcycles or sports, let him research those topics. If your daughter likes horses or soccer, give her time to study these areas. Once a topic is chosen, determine the amount of time for study each day. In our home, we begin with two to three hours daily for independent study. Our goal is to eventually study six to eight hours each day.
When you give your student a choice of topics to study, you take one small step in raising a leader instead of a follower. Students who choose their course of study take ownership, or leadership, in their own high school homeschool education.
As your children study independently, they should be reading, writing and discussing their research. Encourage the use of a daily reading journal to record their findings and thoughts about their investigation. Regularly discuss the readings and the journal entries. Good discussions provide another aspect of leadership training . . . learning "how to think".
As you use these teaching techniques, your students will use these learning strategies for the rest of their life. It is the perfect way tho homeschool in high school.
________________
Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
Kerry Beck, author of Raising Leaders, Not Followers, has a free workshop with more teaching techniques for high school homeschool. You can get your free copy of this workshop at http://www.Raising-Leaders.com.
I love the start of a new school year. It is a great time to really think through
and evaluate how I want this year to be better for my kids than last year.
I also love helping parents to overcome problems homeschoolers face
each year and showing them how to start school on the
right foot...so this year is the best year ever.
I'd like to invite you to a LIVE webinar I am holding
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Start School Right This Year Webinar THIS Thusday, September 3, 2009 at 6:00pm (Pacific Time).
=================================
It's complimentary - especially for you, my customers and
subscribers.
On this groundbreaking free event, using the latest webinar
technology, I will reveal tips & strategies to give your
kids a superior education where they will learn how to think
critically & Biblically . . . for life.
I will be sharing tips that you can take and use
IMMEDIATELY after the webinar!
BUT, most importantly...I will reveal how you can use
a love of learning, mentoring and classics to train your kids
to become leaders of tomorrow - Godly leaders who will change
the world!
Plus not only will you be able to HEAR me, but you'll also SEE
and WATCH it happening in real time on your computer screen,
complete with real examples! (And it doesn't
matter what connection speed you have or even if you have a PC or
Mac.)
In case you may be wondering what a webinar is or why you
should join me on my " Start School Right "
webinar Thursday night, let me assure you it is simply a complimentary
class that you watch on your computer....at no cost to you!
Your children deserve more, so take it a step further this year and give
them the ability to lead others well and make wise decisions as a
mom/dad, husband/wife, employee, entrepreneur, church member, or
neighbor
I only have 400 spots for this event. So it's a SURE BET this
webinar will FILL completely.
P.S. - I have never taught this updated class before. I am adding
new information from the last 2 years of homeschooling.
P.S.S. - I have something VERY special cooked up for those who
attend the webinar LIVE. It will be worth your while to be on
this webinar, I guarantee it! http://budurl.com/rlnf
Leadership training and education is one of several instructional strategies that help raise your children to be leaders of the future, entrepreneurs in business, elders/deacons in the church, statesmen in the community - who do the right thing. These are the leaders who will make a change in our society. My plan is to use home schooling curriculum so my own children will be excellent leaders of the future.
You may wonder why one child gets an education to become a leader and someone else receives training to follow. It really depends on the instructional strategies that are used in your home schooling curriculum. A child who learns “how to think” will become the leader of tomorrow. When a young man or woman can think outside the box, when they can think on their own, and apply their knowledge to real life situations, then he or she will become the leaders of tomorrow, rising to do what is right thing.
How do you train children to think? What homeschooling resources can you use. . . for free?
Andrew Kern, of Circe Institute, says the quality of questions you ask determines the quality of your life. Leaders have been brought up learning to ask the right questions. They do not simply think on literal terms; they think beyond the literal, evaluating and analyzing issues.
Asking questions of your students is free and easy, as well as extremely effective instructional strategy. What a terrific homeschooling resource! Questions should allow your children time to think and ponder. Your responsibility is deciding which question are the best ones to ask and leading a discussion with your students.
When questions are asked, decisions must be made. As your students answer questions, they develop the habit of making good decisions. Sometimes good decisions must be made with the mentor’s guidance.
_______________ Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
If you're looking for powerful tools to help your child learn more, and retain more, look no further than a reading journal.
Journal writing programs are a great way for children to improve their writing while encouraging their learning through readings. It works for any child, regardless of age. All they need to do is write about what they have read and learned.
My teenagers started their reading journals this year. At first, they only wrote about specific events they read about. Over time, they included writings on what characters did and why, and even included writings on lessons learned through the stories. By the end of the year, they used their journal entries to delve deeply into stories, enhancing their understanding.
Here’s a video review of some of our writing products, “US History Based Writing Lessons - Volume 1.”
My son is twelve and I plan to start the year with a journal entry at the end of each day. This will tell me what he "really learned" that day. He has made journal entries for specific readings, similar to narrations. We have used journals especially with his Bible readings. He writes a paragraph about what he read in his morning devotions and I believe this helps reinforce what he reads.
If you have younger children, write their journal entry for them as they narrate it. They can re-write the narrative, using their best handwriting, into their journal on the next day.
The journals don't necessarily teach new writing skills, although the practice is certainly helpful. The main benefit is that kids retain their lessons better, and incorporate those lessons into day-to-day life. It may be beneficial to select certain entries and polish them into a final form using Teaching Writing: Structure.
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Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
Lately, I have written a number of articles to help you teach kids, whether you're teaching in a school or home-schooling your own children. Recently, I was reminded yet again of the importance of allowing children the freedom to choose their own writing assignments. Thanks to my son, I learned a valuable lesson to make me a more effective teacher, while turning him into a more powerful writer.
Last week, my son's lesson was writing a biographical sketch in five paragraphs. We had recently been studying the Roman Empire, and I hoped that he would write on one of the church's founding fathers - not only would this reinforce those lessons, but he would also have the chance to delve more deeply into books which we had not had time to read earlier. Despite my excitement, I could see he was less than eager.
He was clearly not interested in the topic which I found so fascinating. Once we talked about baseball, that all changed. He had been reading about the life of Derek Jeter, and wanted to learn more. When I suggested that he write his biography on Jeter, his whole attitude changed - suddenly, he could not wait to get started! He already knew of three sources for more information, and could not wait to get started.
That settled it - Derek Jeter it would be.
Here’s a video review of one of our writing products,
“History Based Writing Lessons.”
Over the past week, he has studiously collected information on Derek Jeter for his paper. Today, we narrowed his topics down to only three, keeping him from being overwhelmed. Over the next week, he will create an outline and begin writing.
He is much happier and more enthusiastic about his assignment, since he is writing about a topic that interests him. This keeps him motivated, and his writing is most effective when he has the freedom to choose a topic. He'll learn more, and retain more, this way.
By letting your kids choose their own topics, they take ownership of their project. Give it a try - it makes a huge difference! Your children will learn more and be happier about it; you'll be thrilled with the results.
__________ Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009 You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below. Kerry Beck encourages homeschool moms and teachers with middle school writing. Grab Kerry’s free mini-course about Teaching Writing Easily at http://www.howtoteachwriting.com/ right away.
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
The most common complaint I hear from parents has to do with their child's approach to writing. It's quite normal for children to resist writing assignments. I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that way. By providing your child with a clear purpose for their writing lessons, you will boost their motivation and encourage them to do their best work. Through the process of writing format through publishing, my kids do better work, and are happier about it, too!
A few years ago, all three of my children wrote books which are now available for purchase. My son worked for an entire year studying about the jungle and choosing just the right animal or plant to include in his ABC Jungle Book. After making these choices, he wrote a paragraph about each one, using a writing stylistic checklist.
Of course, he didn't work on his book for eight hours a day, every day for a year. After all, he's just a kid! The amazing thing is that he remained motivated all year long. Because of his efforts, he was able to complete his book at the beginning of June.
He was highly motivated for a couple of reasons. First, he chose the topic of jungles himself so he was quite interested in the topic from the beginning. Secondly, the idea of making money from his writing project and publishing a book was exciting. This project gave him a purpose for writing. Not every writing project will end in a money-making project, but each writing assignment should have a purpose.
Not all writing assignments lead to a money-making opportunity - there are many other ways to introduce purpose into your child's writing. Experiment, and look for new reasons to write. Perhaps your child can write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper on a preferred topic; enter a poem or story in a writing contest; share news in a letter with family or friends; or write a story about an incident in their life. Be creative, and find new reasons for your children to write - they will approach their writing with a fresh outlook and increased enthusiasm.
Here’s a video review of some of our writing products, “Medieval History Based Writing.”
After your child has a purpose for writing, they need to get their ideas out of their head and onto paper. Ideas have to be arranged in a logical order, and then the writing process can begin. Teaching Writing: Structure & Style is the best product to teach kids how to write. It teaches your children to write for a variety of purposes like letters, stories, and essays.
Using the process of writing format through publishing automatically gives your child a purpose for writing. As you look for a writing program, look for one that uses writing with whatever subjects you are studying. Writing should not a separate subject in and of itself. That's the way life is...writing is part of all aspects of your life and your students should be able to write in many areas. Writing in a variety of subject areas will also show your students that writing has a purpose in all of life.
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Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
In the last article, we talked about Andres Pudewa's amazing guidelines on Teaching Writing: Structure and Style. Rather than teaching students writing strategies such as how to brainstorm a topic, he emphasizes teaching them how to write. It's a unique approach that gives fabulous results.
Using that model, let me share free writing lessons online that you can use with your own children this week (or the first week of school). If your older children struggle with writing, this is a great place to start. Begin by choosing a story they enjoy. This is one way of using predictable books to teach writing.
Here’s a video review of one of our writing products, “Elegant Essay".
DAY 1 In order to help your children with "what" to write, you should copy a simple, one-page story, perhaps Aesop's Fables. Read the story aloud with your child. After reading the story, write an outline/structure so you can do a key word outline with your child. The structure should look something like this.
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Note that this outline contains only numbers, not letters as you may have learned in school. A numbered structure is easier for your children to follow. As you create the structure, make sure you have a number for each sentence in the original story.
Go back to the story, and re-read the first sentence. Ask your child to choose three key words from the sentence. These words will help him to put the story in his own words, which happens later in this exercise. Underline or circle these words, and then write them beside the "I". Make sure you write them in order.
From there, read the second sentence and choose another three key words. Write those words beside 1. If your child only has a word or two, that's fine - just make sure that there are no more than three words. Your child must decide for himself which words to choose. We are not trying to force your child to remember every little detail, just the highlights so he can re-write the sentences later.
Continue in this fashion until the outline is complete, and then put away the original story. Now let your child tell you what each paragraph was about, using the written outline as a guide. It is easier for children to say it out loud, rather than writing it all down. Congratulations! You have completed the first half of this writing lesson!
Whatever the age of your children, make sure that they tell you the story again, paragraph by paragraph. It may seem childish, especially for older children, but it is an important part of the thought process.
Join us for the part three, which includes more free writing lessons online. Using the outline you created today, you will take the next step - teaching your children to write a story in their own words.
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Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
When I first started homeschooling, I decided not to buy a Writing Curriculum! Why? Because all the programs I reviewed were activities I could do on my own. I taught fifth grade for six years and most homeschool writing programs were like my public school writing process, teaching students "what to write".
Then I discovered Andrew Pudewa's Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). He has a terrific flagship product called Teaching Writing: Structure and Style. It is designed to teach students how to write, rather than focusing on choosing a topic. In the public school system, teachers and students brainstorm ideas together. Students select a topic and begin to write. Mr. Pudewa's program, on the other hand, is designed so students learn how to write. It is an interesting approach, especially considering that most students agonize over selecting a topic.
Here’s a video review of one of our writing products, “Windows To The World”.
Andrew Pudewa's approach to writing is completely different. Rather than have students decide on the topic, he tells them what to write about. Using his lesson plans for writing process, students learn a variety of "structures". These structures consist of outlines for various types of writings - essays, letters, and more. Students choose an appropriate outline depending on what kind of writing they are doing and the reasons for writing.
Once a structure is defined, the program teaches students how to develop their own "style". By selecting strong verbs and adverbs, descriptive adjectives, and various clauses, students learn to dress up their writing and experiment with their writing style. They learn effective ways of opening and closing a sentence for maximum impact.
In my next article (part 2), I will share a simple activity you can use with your own children this week (or the first week of school). If your older students struggle with writing, this is a great place to start.
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Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
I’ve got a couple of ideas I’m posting to my blog BUT there is so much more you can do to build anticipation for Easter than I can write on my blog.
`Yesterday I read a book by Nina Cam called “Easter Family Traditions To Honor Christ.” Nina has included so many fantastic ideas to help you elevate your celebration of Christ’s resurrection. I was encouraged how many of Nina’s ideas coincided with our own family values, as well as sooo many cool new ideas we can implement in the coming years.
You can read more about Easter Family Traditions right here:
Have you watched the videos at http://www.FamilyEbiz.com/blog? I made those videos to show you some specific techniques we will be using in our homeschool curriculum business. I learned those techniques from Stomper Net’s FormulaFIVE.
If you have a teen with a business, you should check out Formula Five and their free videos to grow their teen business.
Today marks the release of the LAST VIDEO in StomperNet’s FREE “Going Natural: FormulaFIVE” series of profit boosting videos.
It’s called “The Profit Recon Plan”, and this time, you’re going to learn how to use the all-powerful “Double Whammy” that will allow you to get INSTANT SALES and IMPROVE CONVERSION…at the SAME TIME! This is the REAL “secret” to FormulaFIVE -it’s all about compounding and building on everything else.
Go watch the new video now and put it to work in your business. These proven methods have worked over and over in the past, and they’re working RIGHT NOW. There’s a 93% chance this stuff WILL work for you. (Who else can say that?)
Do you think that it’s WORTH IT to try this stuff yet?
That’s why Andy Jenkins AND FormulaFIVE creator (and superstar business consultant) Paul Lemberg are holding a special “What IS FormulaFIVE” Webinar.
They’ll break down the FULL details behind their plans for how YOU are going to use FormulaFIVE to dramatically grow your business in 2009 (maybe DOUBLE it - even TRIPLE IT!)
I want you on the call (I’ll be there). Register here. Join Andy and Paul Thursday night, January 15th at 8pm Eastern. Bring a notebook. This is going to be BIG. http://www.KerryBeck.com/f5videos
See you there tonight, but register RIGHT NOW.
Kerry Beck
ps. You can register by entering your email in the white box on this page & confirming with the link sent to your email. http://www.KerryBeck.com/f5videos
I'm giving away another copy of my Advent & Christmas Celebration Package tomorrow - Sunday, December 7. You have 24 hours to post a comment about how you put meaning & purpose back into your Christmas celebration. Share any of your family traditions that keep Christ the center of Christmas and post your comment here on this blog: Homeschool Curriculum - http://www.CurriculumConnection.net/blog
Last Thursday we had a wonderful workshop about the "5 Secrets to Rekindling the Spirit of Christmas"! In case you missed it, we are working on a replay link. I'll post that link shortly.
Finally....
you can get much more information about making Christ the center of your Christmas and overcoming America's commercialism here: Christmas activities
Just sign up for the webinar replay and FREE Advent Calendar and you'll also discover tons of cool ideas for celebrating a Christ-centered Christmas.
This past Saturday our family drove to Fort Worth for a funeral. On the way up, I talked to Steve about my concerns with Christmas in America. I made some notes and decided to give a live workshop and share some of our solutions.
The workshop will go beyond the special report I compiled a few years ago that you may have read. I’ll be discussing “The 5 Secrets to Rekindling the True Spirit of Christmas”. During the live workshop, I’ll be showing you some examples of commercialism in America’s Christmas and then provide some examples of families who have successfully overcome America’s crass commercialism.
Since you are a valued subscriber, you can be one of my special VIP guests on this fre.e webinar.
*************************************** “The 5 Secrets To Rekindling The True Spirit of Christmas”
Thursday, December 4, 2008
6pm Pacific (7pm MST, 8pm CST, 9pm EST)
Study guide provided for those who register.
***************************************
You’ll need to register to save your spot and discover the 5 Secrets we developed on our trip last Saturday. We have 200 spots available and I’m sure they will fill up quickly. http://tinyurl.com/blogadvent
I can’t wait to meet you on Tuesday and share
- 4 tips of reaching outside your family during the Christmas season.
- 3 steps to putting Christ and “His Story” back into your Christmas celebration!
ps. If you have any questions you’d like answered on the webinar, please post a comment on this entry.
pps. Be sure to join us on the live webinar because I’ll share some secret tips that will not be on the replay. You can register here: http://tinyurl.com/blogadvent
The Twelve Days of Christmas is the period of time that occurs starting with Christmas day and continuing on through to the first week of January. The 12 Days of Christmas does not occur the 12 days prior to Christmas. The period before Christmas is known as Advent.
Christmastide is another name for this time period. The celebrations and traditions that take place during this time period vary slightly. It depends on the denomination of your church as well as where you live in the world. Each denomination and culture has different beliefs on how the time period should be celebrated.
For example, some traditions celebrate the twelve days of Christmas from Christmas day until January 5th. Other traditions celebrate it starting on Christmas evening until January 6th.
The twelve days of Christmas signifies the travel of the 3 Kings from the east to go see Jesus. When the Kings discovered that Jesus was born, they decided to travel to Bethlehem to see him. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh with them.
When it comes down to the giving of gifts there are several different philosophies behind when gifts should be given during this time period. Some people believe that gifts should be given on Christmas day. Others believe that you should give gifts only on the 12th day of Christmas. Still others believe that you should give gifts on each of the 12 days of Christmas.
This holiday period has a number of different ways that you can celebrate it. Many people celebrate it by lighting candles for the 12 days. For example, on each day of the 12 days, they light a candle to represent the progression of the Christmastide season.
Christmas dinner is also a significant part of the 12 days. The way dinner is treated varies as well. Some groups of people have their major Christmas dinner on Christmas day itself. Others have their major dinner on the 12th day of Christmas. Still others have a feast every day of the 12 days.
Another important aspect of the holiday is the 12 days of Christmas song that enjoys worldwide popularity. This song talks about the different gifts that the recipient receives during this time period from his or her “true love.” It has been hotly debated as to whether there is any hidden meaning behind this song. There are some people who believe that this song actually makes hidden references to different aspects of the Christian faith. They believe the song was created to help believers remember the key aspects of their faith. Others believe that this is simply an urban myth.
Regardless of what you believe on how the twelve days of Christmas should be celebrated, it can be an incredible opportunity for you to gather with your friends and family and have fun. You can choose the best way to celebrate it based on your own beliefs and convictions about the holiday season.
Kerry Beck offers free advent calendars with daily Christmas activities to prepare you for Christmas. You’ll learn more about holiday traditions with some of the daily activities. You can get her FREE Advent Countdown at http://www.ChristmasCelebrationIdeas.com
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(c) Kerry Beck, 2008 You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below. Links in resource box must be clickable to reprint this article. If you can’t click the link, please ask permission to reprint.
Christmas is an international holiday that is celebrated around the world in a variety of different ways and fashions. Depending on where you are at in the world at the time, you will see a number of different Christmas activities, stories and symbols.
Let's start with how Christmas is celebrated in the United States. The US version of Christmas is primarily based on European cultures and traditions. Of course there are some other influences as well since Americans are a melting pot of cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
Santa Claus is heavily celebrated in the USA. Parents take their children to malls all over the country where the kids have the opportunity to meet Santa Claus. The kids get to tell Santa what they want for Christmas and the parents get to use the experience as a photo opportunity.
The citizens of Australia get to celebrate Christmas in the summertime. Instead of visions of snowy days and cold wintery nights, their Christmas days are filled with fun in the sun, picnics in the park and even swimming and playing on the beach.
Religious worship is a major piece of the Christmas holiday in Australia. The majority of the population is Roman Catholic or Protestant so church plays a major role in the celebration of the holiday. Most churches have a midnight mass that you can attend and many families go to church together.
Japan is a country that celebrates Christmas despite the religious beliefs of its citizens. Since less than 1% of the population is Christian, Christmas is considered more of a commercial holiday as oppose to a spiritual celebration. In fact it's not even an official holiday in Japan where people get the day off.
Christmas technically is not an official holiday on the Japanese calendar. One contradiction to most holiday traditions are the way the Japanese handle Christmas dinner. While most cultures eat dinner together at home, the Japanese go out to eat. In particular, there is a very popular Christmas Chicken dinner at KFC that many people actually make reservations for on Christmas!
Like Japan, China also has a very small population of citizens that profess Christianity. However, also like the Japanese they still celebrate Christmas anyway. The Chinese embrace the Santa Claus concept. In China, his name means "Christmas Old Man."
Christmas is more of a prelude to the Chinese New Year, which is the major holiday in China. However, you can most certainly see celebrations in China for Christmas. Many of the commercial aspects like decorations, bright lights and greeting cards are celebrated and participated in by the Chinese people.
The people of France celebrate Christmas very similar to the Americans. One thing they do not do though is decorate Christmas trees. Instead, they spend more of their time creating Christmas stories out of their yards by creating massive displays of characters and ornaments.
One holiday tradition that is very popular in France is the placing of Christmas scenes outside of the home. These scenes offer an illustration of Christmas stories. In particular, the French populate their scenes with little "santons" or "saints". Besides the typical Christmas characters that you see in outdoor scenes, it is not uncommon to see figures of local French leaders and personalities as well.
There are a wide variety of ways that Christmas around the world is celebrated. Depending on where you go in the world you will see many different holiday traditions. Christmas is a very popular holiday throughout the world and is one of the most widely celebrated traditions in the world today both by Christians and non Christians.
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(c) Kerry Beck, 2008 You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio above. Links in resource box must be clickable to reprint this article. If you can’t click the link, please ask permission to reprint.
When celebrating the Christmas holiday there are a number of activities that you can plan for the entire family. These Christmas activities will help you to maximize the joy of the holidays and make sure you and the family has a great time.
Let’s start with activities for the kids. One activity that you can have the kids do is writing letters to Santa Claus. What’s great about this activity is because of the power of the internet you can very easily have a response from Santa to your child’s letter.
Using the power of the internet, there are a number of web sites that you can go to in order to prepare the letter from Santa Claus. The way it works is you choose the letter that you want. You then fill in some information about your child and it is automatically added to the letter for you.
Coloring is always a popular hit with the kids. With the holiday season approaching one of the best Christmas activities for kids is to allow them to color Christmas themed coloring books and pages. You can purchase coloring books from a book or toy store or you can print out pages that can be colored online.
For older kids, if you are looking for some activities that are fun but also educational, there are a variety of word games you can have them play. For instance, there are Christmas theme word searches as well as Christmas themed crossword puzzles that your kids can play and work on together.
What about adults? One very popular activity for adults is cooking and eating. There are a variety of Christmas recipes you can prepare. For example, one of the holiday recipes that are always a hit is Christmas cookie recipes. Christmas cake is also another great dish to prepare for the holidays.
Another activity that adults love during the holiday season is to have a Christmas party. There’s a good chance your company is going to hold a holiday party. However, you may also want to throw a Christmas party for your friends and family.
When throwing a Christmas party, food is important but not the most important activity in the party. You want to serve food but if that is the majority of your focus, your party will bomb. Instead, make sure you have some great games lined up as well as a good mix of Christmas music to play at the party.
Shopping is obviously a big Christmas activity that adults enjoy. The malls are packed with shoppers looking to snag up great deals on holiday presents. Many adults enjoy shopping not just for the purposes of buying gifts, but they enjoy the activity of shopping in and of itself.
As for holiday activities that the entire family can enjoy, there are many Christmas shows that you can go see. Taking the family out for a drive around your area to look at Christmas decorations is also an activity that brings joy for the entire family. There are a number of different activities that every member of the family can enjoy. The key is to find which ones work best for you and your family.
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(c) Kerry Beck, 2008 You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below. Links in resource box must be clickable to reprint this article. If you can't click the link, please ask permission to reprint.
