On the first day of Christmas…

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On the Christian calendar, yesterday was the first day of Christmas. The church celebrates the 12 days of Christmas, after Christmas…not before as many Americans do. You can teach Biblical truths to your children throughout these 12 days.  Here’s a little background to get started.

on the first day of Christmas - 12 days

People often think of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas as the days preceding the festival.  Actually, Christmas is a season of the Christian Year that lasts for the twelve days beginning December 25 and lasting until January 6 – the Day of Epiphany, when the
church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the Light of the world and recalls the journey of the magi.

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.

After some research I discovered something I never knew about the 12 Days of Christmas song.  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 Twelve Days of Christmas is, in essence, an allegory. The song has two levels of interpretation: the surface meaning and the meaning known only to members of the Church.

Each element in the carol is a word for a religious reality.  Some families give small presents each day to their children to help them understand the Biblical truths.  To start off…

The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ the most precious gift of God.

on the first day of Christmas - nativityExample of a gift on day one: Start a Nativity for each child.   Start with the stable and add a new piece each year until the Nativity is complete.  Save the crèche and baby Jesus for the last two pieces.  (If you have a small child, you might give a cloth Nativity, toy Nativity, or storybooks of the Nativity).  If you continue this tradition, your children will have Nativity collections for their homes
one day.

In my book, Advent, Christmas & Epiphany Celebrations, you can read about all 12 days of Christmas and gift suggestions for each.  This week only, you can get our entire package on sale at this link:

http://www.ChristmasCelebrationIdeas.com/celebrate

The SALE PRICE will show up on the order form on the next page.  Click “Add to Cart” and you’ll see the SALE PRICE.

 



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