Today, December 26th, is the First Day of the Twelve Days of Christmas. These days December 26th means Christmas is over to most people, but in the Middle Ages there was still almost two weeks of Christmas left!

Churches circulated donation boxes amongst the congregation during Advent, and those boxes and their contents were distributed amongst the poor on the First Day of Christmas, otherwise known as Boxing Day.

Several countries still celebrate Boxing Day - including Scotland, Ireland, Australia and Canada. In some Canadian provinces Boxing Day is a statutory holiday when all workers are given a mandatory day off with full pay. In the countries that still celebrate Boxing Day, it is much like the day after Thanksgiving in the United States - a huge shopping day. Which is really ironic given the historical bases for the holiday.

I would like to see a tradition start where instead of running out to hit the after Christmas sales, or running out to return and exchange gifts, Boxing Day made a real come back. This year I plan to take a good inventory of our home and donate items that we no longer need or use to the Salvation Army or Goodwill. Why not have Boxing Day be the day that you give each member of your household a box and ask them to fill it with things to donate to charity? You could spend Boxing Day volunteering at a soup kitchen. Or donate some money to a charitable organization? It is easy to get wrapped up in the season, but this time of year should really be a time to realize how lucky we are to have warm families and warm homes, and to think of and do something for those who are not as fortunate.

Many countries and cultures have foods that serve as symbols. Wine and bread, for example, play key roles in many christian ceremonies. Beans are considered lucky on New Year's Day in the South, the Caribbean and parts of the Middle East. In ancient Rome grain symbolized good fortune and plenty. Many of these food based symbols come up during the Christmas season and have roots dating back to times when these short, cold days were spent inside with family looking forward to longer days and the spring to come.

The pretzel shape has a special significance - it is derived from a pagan calendar symbol to mark the winter solstice. The pagan marking consisted of a circle, which represented the sun's course and the dot in the center of the circle to represent the earth. When this shape is made from one piece of rolled dough, the dot in the center becomes a cross, thus making the pretzel shape we are all familiar with. Countries such as Denmark and Finland still have traditional pretzels to celebrate this time of year.

The yule log, or buche de noel is a jelly-roll cake that is frosted and decorated to look like a log - a yule log. This type of cake is popular in France (buche de noel), Italy (ceppo de natale), Lithuania (berzo saka - filled with prune jam, chocolate and walnuts), England (yule log - filed with apricot jam and almonds and covered with red currant jelly and almond paste icing) and Norway (julestamme - filled with strawberry or raspberry jam and covered with whipped cream or almond paste icing).

Shortbread, a classic Scottish treat, is a traditional Christmas and New Year's treat that descended from the oatmeal bannock that was served at pagan Yule celebrations. The bannock was a round cake with a circle in the center and ridges around the rim to symbolize the sun and its rays. It is considered unlucky to cut shortbread with a knife - it should be broken into pieces to avoid bad luck.

It would be really hard for me to pick one single song as my favorite Christmas carol - as I really do enjoy a lot of them. Obviously The Twelve Days of Christmas would top my list, but I also have a soft spot for some more obnoxious and less classic carols, like All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth sung by the Chipmunks and eleven-year-old Gayla Peevey's I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas. 

Anyway, I think the 1940s through the 1960s has to be the golden age of Christmas carols. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the older carols too, but there is just something so festive about the songs written in and around the 1950s. Here are some of my favorites:

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth 

Written in 1944 by Donal Yetter Gardner and first recorded in 1947. According to Wikipedia, Gardner, a children's music teacher, got the idea for the song when he noticed that most of his young students were missing at least one front tooth. He asked his students what they wanted for Christmas, and most replied with a whistle due to the missing teeth. It is rumored that he wrote the song in only thirty minutes!

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas 

This song was a hit in 1953, written by John Rox and sung by eleven year old Gayla Peevey on the Ed Sullivan Show. While her request for Christmas is a little less realistic than having adult teeth grow in, I still think its a fun song. I don't hear it as often as others on the radio, but when I do it always gets stuck in my head!

The song was a hit on the Billboard charts and reached number 24. It was so popular that rumors were created around the young singer and the song. Rumor had it that the song was released as a fundraiser to help Peevey's hometown zoo raise the funds the acquire a hippo. In 2007, however, the grown up singer clarified that a radio station from her home town (Oklahoma City) had used the popularity of the song to launch a campaign to present young Peevey with an actual hippopotamus on Christmas - and the campaign was successful! After her dream came true, Peevey donated her hippo (named Matilda) to the local zoo where the hippo lived a long life. You can see a video of the grown up Peevey singing at the Oklahoma City Zoo here.

We all know about the stereotypical Christmas morning - a big glittering tree with presents pouring out from underneath. That is what I could not wait to see every Christmas morning when I was a kid. But as I have gotten older I have enjoyed the act of giving, and the time with family more than the presents. For some people, though, it just does not feel like Christmas without some kind of gift exchange. Which brings me to the topic of alternative gift giving ideas. 

Secret Santa

You are probably more than familiar with this concept. A bunch of names go in a hat then everyone who wants to participate picks a name and then gets a gift (usually of a specified dollar amount) for that person. I worked in an office that did this for Christmas (although it was called "Secret Salmon" to make it non-denominational). A way to make the typical secret santa exchange a bit more fun is to really keep it a secret - don't let the recipient know who the gift giver was. Keeping the santas secret can help alleviate some of the stress that might come from giving a gift to someone you don't know very well.

White Elephant

In the white elephant gift exchanges I have been to, I have been asked to bring a white elephant present that cost no more than a certain dollar amount. When the exchange begins one person opens a random gift. Then the next person gets to go, and that person can, depending on the rules in use, either "steal" the gift that is already open, or open a new gift. If a gift is "stolen" then the person who was stolen from gets to open a new gift. Some people put limits on the number of times any particular item can be stolen. In my experience it is best to pick names from a hat, or something like that, to determine the order of opening the gifts. But I have seen this kind of game go a little awry - feelings can get hurt.

Favorite Things Exchange

I have never been to a party like this, but I have heard of them, and I think it sounds like fun. Its kind of like a white elephant exchange in that a lot of money does not have to be spent, and that you are not buying a gift for any specific person. The way this type of exchange works is that you ask each guest to bring multiples of their favorite thing - usually a dollar cap is used. So you might be asked to bring five of your favorite thing under $5. Then everyone else at the party will bring five of their favorite things under $5. And then you get to kind of shop around and leave the party with 5 fun new things (think chapstick, magazines, makeup, candy, food, even wine!). You could also set a lower dollar cap and ask your guests to bring one of their favorite things for every guest (for example if you have 10 people coming to a party, you might ask your guests to bring 10 of their favorite things under $2 or $3, then everyone gets to try 10 new things). Anyway, I bet you can tell that I think this is a fun twist on traditional gift giving. The focus is more social and less on the cost of the things.

Something You Want, Need, Wear, Read

This is another type of gifting that I have seen circulating the internet. For family members, to limit the gluttony of gifting, you can decide to give people four things:

Something they want,

Something they need,

Something to wear, and 

Something to read.

I think this is a really nice way to cut down on spending and re-focus on spending time with family and enjoying the Christmas season.

I think women are a lot easier to shop for, but that probably stems from the fact that I am a woman. Also, as I mentioned in the men's gift ideas post, I think the fact that women will buy pretty things for themselves makes it easier for friends and family to get a sense of what they like, and therefore what to gift them.

Anyway, here is a selection of gifts that I think would make thoughtful, creative presents for any women in your life.

Breakfast in Bed

Who does not like breakfast in bed? If I can have bacon and coffee brought to me in bed, I know its going to be a good day. So why not give a coupon redeemable for breakfast in bed? I think going to bed and knowing that I will get to eat breakfast in bed the next morning would be a great present!

Ice Cream Maker Gift Set

For $99 you can give this great Ice Cream Maker Gift Set from Williams-Sonoma, that comes with everything you need to make some great, homemade ice cream. It sounds like even the culinarily challenged could make ice cream with this maker - and maybe if you are lucky you will get invited over for some!

Magnolia Tree

If you know someone who loves the great outdoors, then this ready-to-plant magnolia tree might make a great gift. For $49 you can get this living magnolia tree, complete with care and planting instructions. Magnolia blossoms smell great, so why not give the gift that keeps on giving? Available from Gumps.

Colorful Alpaca Scarf

This beautiful scarf is made from Alpaca wool, and is hand-made in La Paz Bolivia. A beautiful scarf can be both a fashionable and practical. For $39 from National Geographic, this scarf is really a steal.

Cashmere Tech Gloves

These gloves bring together the best of both worlds - pampering and function! I have yet to meet a woman who does not love cashmere - and what better place to wear such a soft fabric than on your hands? And these gloves don't need to be taken off to use a smartphone or touch-screen. Perfect! All for only $49 from Frontgate.com.

Snuggly Nap Throw Blanket with Foot Pocket

Christmastime is a great time to cuddle up on the couch. Pretty much every time I get on the couch this time of year I reach for one of a couple of blankets that are close by. What makes this blanket so special, other than its softness, is the built in foot-pocket! How genius is that? I hate having cold feet, and love having my feet tucked in - its like this blanket read my mind! Its only $49.99 from Brookstone.

Monogrammed Zipper Pouch

These little monogrammed zipper pouches from Pottery Barn are cute, personalized, and are inexpensive enough at $16 that you might even consider putting another little something (jewelry?) inside.

Craft Class

If you have a lady in your life that likes to craft or bake, then you might consider looking into craft classes offered at local craft stores. The big craft stores around here, like Michael's and Jo-Ann Fabrics offer classes in everything from faux-floral arrangement to cake decorating to basic sewing. Smaller mom-and-pop craft and fabric stores sometimes offer classes too, so why not give the gift of crafting?

Laquer Jewelry Boxes

These fun, bright jewelry boxes from West Elm would make a bright addition to any woman's closet. And at only $24, you might consider putting a little something sparkly inside to add to the surprise!

Chrysanthemum Vase

This vase from Anthropologie is beautiful all on its own - complete with its own flower! I think the colors - aqua and coral - are a nice twist on the standard Christmas colors, and will look great year-round. Since the vase is only $28, maybe you can get a nice bouquet of flowers to go in it?

I hope these gift ideas got your brain going - Christmas is only two weeks away!

Men can be really hard to shop for. I think the difficulty arises from the fact that most men don't shop for themselves for fun, so its hard to know what they might like. To help you out, I have put together a list of 10 fun gift ideas that I think men might like this year. I tried to make a varied list, so there should be something here for everyone:

Cards Against Humanity

Cards Against Humanity is a card game that has been popular for a few years now, but is still a fun party game. The game is played like Apples to Apples, but is intended for adults. Its a really, really fun game. You can download a PDF and print the cards for free (free!) or you can buy a pre-printed boxed set of cards for $25. If you know someone who already has a set, they also sell expansion packs now, too.

A Sweet Pair of Headphones

Earbud-style headphones are still popular, but if you know someone who spends a lot of time listening to music, a nice pair of over-ear headphones might make a great gift. There are tons of headphones on the market now. I would check out Amazon.com and BestBuy.com to see which ones get good reviews and are on sale. This pair looks nice, gets good reviews, and is almost 50% off on Amazon.com:

Customized Converse Sneakers

Do you have a man in your life that loves his Converse sneakers? I know I do. Converse now offers the ability to customize a pair of sneakers online. You could try your hand at custom-designing a pair for your man, or you can get him a gift certificate so he can make his own dream pair of sneakers. All for about $75!

Home Brew Kit

For $40 you can get one of these home brew kits that contains everything your guy would need (ok, other than a stove and water) to make his own brew! The Brooklyn Brew Shop offers a great variety of kits - everything from "Warrior Double IPA" to "Grapefruit Honey Ale". Check them out!

Homemade Favorite Meal Coupon

Let's not forget that not everything that you give this year has to come from a store. A fun idea for a free gift is a coupon allowing the redeemer to have his favorite meal made for him.  There is so much eating and rich foods during the holidays, so why not spread the love from the kitchen into the new year?

Customized Stainless-Steel Steak Knife Set with Box

Know a man who loves meat? Why not get him this set of stainless steel steak knives, and have his initials put on the box? The knives are $80, and personalizations is another $7.

Customized Steak Brand and Carving Board

Here is another great gift for the meat-eater in your life - especially if he loves to grill. For $70 you can get a customized, hand-forged iron steak brand and a matching carving board. What guy would not love to put his initials on his steak? And if you know a guy who seems to have everything, well, I doubt he has this!

Manly Slipper Socks

Even the manliest feet get cold, so why not warm them up with a pair of these wool and leather slipper socks? For travel or at home, I think these slipper socks would make a great gift for a man or a woman! Only $45.

Vintage-Style Thermos

Whether he is commuting to work or going on a camping trip, a vintage-style thermos like one of these Stanley Thermoses from West Elm would make a great gift to keep your man warm all day long. From coffee to soup, a thermos like this will keep his stomach nice and warm, and will cost you only $32.

Shaving Stuff

New Year's Eve is right around the corner from Christmas, so do your part to make sure your man is nice and kissable by buying him some fancy shaving stuff! Maybe if he likes his shaving cream and equipment, he will shave more often? Its worth a shot! West Elm is selling a cigar box full of Portland General Store shaving goodies for $45. For another $22 you can make sure he has a fancy wooden shaving brush, too.

I hope these ideas get you well on your way to finding special, thoughtful gifts for all the guys on your shopping list this year! Stay tuned for some great gift ideas for the ladies later in the week.

On Monday I posted some of the gifts that the men in our family have received in their Twelve Days boxes over the past couple of years.  Today I will be sharing with you some of the gifts that us women have received and enjoyed. 

• Small figurines - if someone on your list has a penchant for a certain animal, say horses, you can look at a couple thrift shops, antique stores, or online (ebay and etsy) to see if you can find a tiny version of their beloved animal, like this one:

• Puzzles - girls and women like puzzles too! Its all about the subject matter. I have given some cute small magnetic puzzles in the past that easily fit in a Twelve Days Box.
• Small stained glass - when we were in the UK a couple of years ago it seemed like every gift shop had these adorable, tiny stained glass pieces that were designed to hang in a window - and they fit in Twelve Days Boxes perfectly!

• Tea lights and holders - there are no shortage of cute tea light holders on the market today. A cute little tea light holder and a tea light candle make a great Twelve Days gift!

• Magnets - I have given these beatiful Tiffany-inspired magnets, as well as some fun faux-jewel magnets in the past. There are also sets of Scrabble pieces that are magnetized, or fridge-poetry sets that can make a great gift for the more literary/game minded person.

• Hand cremes - I always find myself reaching for more hand creme this time of year, so I think a nice little tube or pot of hand creme makes a great Twelve Days gift. 

• Small scented candles - another idea for a candle lover in your life is a small scented candle. You can even buy a little set of different scents and put one in a couple boxes. The mini-tins at illume candles fit in a Twelve Days Box perfectly, and come in a lot of great fragrances.
• Jewelry - there are no shortage of pretty little things like earrings, necklaces, rings and brooches that will fit in a Twelve Days Box. People always say "the best things come in small boxes"!
• Candy - just like for the men, women love candy too! Anything from hard candies to truffles will fit in a Twelve Days Box!
• Coin purse - lots of little boutiques sell cute coin purses. If you are feeling extra-gifty you could even put a little note or gift card in the coin purse!

• Pill box - I like to have a little box in my purse with a couple of aspirin, and maybe an allergy pill or two, just in case. So why not have those pills in a cute little pill box? It may sound old fashioned, but being a woman who is prepared is never a bad idea. Especially if the pill box is blinged out like these:

• Small books - if you look in antique stores and book stores you can find "TIny Tomes" and other miniature versions of popular books. One of the best Twelve Days gifts I think I ever gave was a tiny version of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" - how appropriate!
• Bath bombs/bath salts - we all know the holidays can be stressful, so why not encourage a little relaxation with a little package of bath salts or dissolving bath bombs?
• Paper weight - A nice paperweight is a welcome addition to any organized desk. 

• Keychains - a fun personalized keychain can make a great Twelve Days gift.
• Reusable grocery/tote bag - these bags are really popular now, and they do squish down small enough to fit in a Twelve Days Box, so why not put a bag in a box? They come in lots of cute designs now, too!

• Tea/tea ball - for the tea drinker in your life, why not put a few nice tea bags in a box, or a small packet of loose-leaf tea and a nice tea ball? 
• Small picture frame - a tiny picture frame (with a tiny personalized picture or message in it) is a great Twelve Days gift!

Just like the ideas for the guys, a lot of these ideas would be great for anyone! Once you get your creative juices flowing you can think of lots of great, thoughtful gifts that easily fit in a Twelve Days Box.  Happy gifting!

The Turkey has been cooked, and the leftovers enjoyed (or, if your house is anything like mine, the leftovers are still being enjoyed), and now it is time to unabashedly start getting ready for Christmas. It's time to pull out the ladder, get the lights down from the attic and up on the house. And while I have been trying to chip away at my Christmas list slowly for a while now, its time to kick it into high gear!

Celebrating The Twelve Days of Christmas is an important part of my family's holiday season. That means picking out fun little trinkets and goodies throughout the year to fill the boxes for our family members to open from December 26 through January 6. To give you a jump-start on shopping for The Twelve Days of Christmas this week I am going to share with you some of the toys and trinkets that we have given to our family (and received ourselves) over the past couple of years. Today I will share with you some of the goodies that have been found inside the male family member's boxes. Later this week I will share some of the goodies that the ladies have gotten. None of the things on this list are very masculine, so most of these ideas could go for either gender and any age.

• Wall Walker

These are fun little toys. They are a bit sticky, but harmless. You throw them against a wall or window and they walk their way down. Fun for adults and kids.

• Cube Robot

These are fun toys to position and play with. They start out as a cube and then transform into a robot. We have two - the smallest one which will fit in a Twelve Days box, and the next size up. Both robots like to hang out in various places around our house. One is hanging out on our wine rack right now.

• Pencil sharpener/eraser - for the artist or doodler in your life, a fun pencil sharpener and eraser combo makes a good Twelve Days gift. There are lots of cute shapes out there now.
• Puzzles - these are a yearly occurence in our Twelve Days box. From small jig-saw puzzles to brain-teaser puzzles, they are always a crowd pleaser.
• Robot pinball

I put one of these in one of my husband's boxes last year. They are a bit hard to play with adult sized fingers, but still fun. And cheap.

• Chapstick - my father-in-law loves chapstick, as do I. There are so many varieties out there today - from your standard Chapstick brand to Burts Bees to all kinds of other brands with a wide variet of flavors from sweet to minty.
• Cork animal

These are fun little gifts - especially if you know someone who enjoys wine. Most of us have a couple corks lurking around in a drawer somewhere, so why not dress them up? These "Corkers" come in lots of different sets.

• Metal bookmark - the kind you can clip on the top or side of a page
• mini 8-ball - you remember the Magic 8-Ball, right? Well in some party stores and toy stores they sell miniature versions for party-favor bags.
• geode - I loved geodes when I was a kid. In some toy stores you can find geodes now where you can crack your own. It just looks like a rock from the outside, but if you split it open with a hammer you might find a beautiful geode inside!
• nose flute

These are fun for kids of all ages. You stick it in your nose and hum, and somewhat like a kazoo it makes noise.

• chocolate elves - lots of candy stores sell fun little chocolates in all sorts of shapes this time of year. Cost Plus World Market is a good place to look.
• movie ticket gift cards - we don't go to the movies very often, but at Costco you can usually get movie ticket gift cards that cut the cost down by a couple dollars per ticket, so they make a nice gift for a night out after the holidays are over.
• Fishing IOU - my husband made a little gift-certificate for his dad that was an I.O.U. for a fishing trip. There are lots of fun things you can make an I.O.U. for - a massage, homemade dinner, free babysitting, etc.
• Finger monsters

I remember these from when I was a kid, maybe you do too?

• Light keychain - I like to have a little light on my keychain, for when it is dark and I need to see something (whether it be the keyhole on the front door or to find something in my purse). A little light keychain makes a great Twelve Days gift.
• Wine aerator - there are quite a few wine-related things that will fit in a Twelve Days Box.
• Gift cards 
• Gift subscriptions - you can make your own little coupon to put in a Twelve Days box for any kind of non-tangible gift.
• Small toys - yo-yos, silly putty, etc.
• Ornaments
• Keychains

The list goes on and on. Get creative!

As I discussed in this blog post the Twelve Days of Christmas represented a time of rest and relaxation for workers. The down-side to the prohibition on work was that everything had to be done before Christmas Day, but the upside was that for twelve wonderful days, families got to spend time together and focus on resting and staying warm by the fire.

Sadly, now that the Twelve Days of Christmas are over, it is time to get back to normal. So on this St. Distaff's Day (or Plough Monday, as it would be called for the men) it is time to take down the ornaments and lights off the tree, wrap up the nativity figures and take the lights off the house so they can all be stored away in the attic again to come out later this year. Sometimes it feels good to get things back to "normal," but I for one always miss all the twinkling lights and sentimental decorations. Let the countdown beging to December 25, 2013!

January 6 is Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day, Old Christmas, or my personal favorite - Woman's Christmas. The time between Christmas Day (December 25) - celebrated by many as the day of Jesus' birth, and Epiphany (January 6) is believed to represent the time that it took the Three Wise Men (or the Three Kings or the Three Magi) to travel to Baby Jesus. Some faiths celebrate January 6 as the day on which Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. In Ireland, Januar 6 is still celebrated as Woman's Christmas - a day when men take over the housework and women celebrate the close of the Christmas season by either going out together, or staying in and being served by the men.

In cultures that celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas and Epiphany, January 6 marks the end of the Christmas Season. Believe it or not, there are some cultures where the Christmas celebration lasts until February 2 - this celebration is called Candlemas.

Epiphany is another gift-giving day, and king cakes are eaten to celebrate the close of the Christmas season. Other cultures' celebrations of Epiphany center around water - involving baptismal rights and house blessings.

However you celebrate on January 6, I hope you savor this last day of Christmas, before going back to a normal routine and taking down your Christmas tree and decorations and lovingly storing them away for next year!

Adoration of the Magi, Bartolome Esteban Murillo, 17th Century

If you have been celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas, then you probably know that tomorrow, January 6, is the Twelfth Day of Christmas (also known as Epiphany). That makes tonight Twelfth Night (or Eve of Epiphany, also known as Old Christmas Eve). If you are familiar with the Twelve Days of Christmas carol, and can remember all of the gift bestowed upon the singer, you might get the idea that by the Twelfth Day of Christmas the singer's house is overrun with birds, musicians and household help. Well, that would make sense if you celebrated Twelfth Night - the culmination of the Christmas season's festivities. 

In medieval times, Twelfth Night was celebrated with grand balls and village parties, complete with Twelfth Night cakes (whether it be a French version, or an English one), with a bean or trinket hidden inside to choose the "king" to preside over the night's revelries.

Shakespeare's Twelfth Night or What You Will is believed to have premiered on January 6, 1601. In Elizabethan times, a temporary Lord of Misrule presided over the season's revelries while the nobility acted as servants - a world deliberately turned upside down for a short time. Social conventions were often broken at Twelfth Night parties where it was "anything goes" or, in other words, "What You Will." The title alludes to the festival atmosphere of the play and the plot involving illusions, mistaken identity, masquerades, jealousy, and of course, love.

Whatever the Twelfth Night of Christmas holds for you, I hope that it is warm and joyful, and helps you look forward to the next Christmas Season!

Twelfth-Night (The King Drinks), 1634-40, by David Teniers the Younger

January 1 represents many things: the first day of the new year, the Seventh Day of Christmas (just past the halfway mark for the Twelve Days of Christmas), St. Basil's Day and the Feast of Fools. Whatever January 1 means to you and your family, I hope you have a great day, and a very happy 2013!

In different parts of the world, the First Day of Christmas, December 26, is known as St. Stephen's Day, the Day of the Wren, or Boxing Day.

St. Stephen's Day or the Day of the Wren

December 26th is a day devoted to remembrance of the Christian martyr, St. Stephen. In countries where St. Stephen is still celebrated, people devote the day to spending time with friends and family.

St. Stephen is believed by many to be the first Christian martyr - he was stoned to death sometime around 33 CE.

St. Stephen's Day has been a holiday in Ireland for hundreds of years, where it is known as The Day of the Wren, and is still a public holiday today. The wren is related to St. Stephan because of stories that a wren betrayed St. Stephen's presence while he was hiding from his enemies.

Boxing Day

As was discussed in this blog post, in the Middle Ages the First Day of Christmas was a day when earthenware boxes full of coins were distributed to servants. Churches also circulated donation boxes amonts the congregation during Advent, and those boxes and their contents were distributed amongst the poor on the day after Christmas.

Several countries still celebrate Boxing Day - including Scotland, Ireland, Australia and Canada. In some Canadian provinces Boxing Day is a statutory holiday when all workers are given a mandatory day off with full pay. In the countries that still celebrate Boxing Day, it is much like the day after Thanksgiving in the United States - a huge shopping day. Which is really kind of ironic given the historical bases for the holiday.

Beggars Receiving Alms at the Door of a House, 1658, by Rembrandt Van Rijn

By winter's onset, daylight was short, the harvest was finished, and all winter provisions should have been stocked. During the Twelve Days all work was forbidden, other than necessary care of farm animals and daily meal preparations. The applied equally to "women's work" such as spinning, even though it could be done indoors where it was warmer. This prohibition on work during Yuletide was even set into law by the Anglo-Saxon king, Alfred the Great.

There were other incentives to be sure that all chores were completed on time - any work attempted during the Twelve Days would be undone or spoiled: the "devil" would cut down any flax left on the distaff (a staff to hold unspun fibers); milling would cause all grain within earshot to go rotten; laundry hung out to dry would be carried off by Odin's pack of wild dogs; etc. The reward for meeting the deadline was twelve days off - a generous holiday break even today. January 7 was called "St. Distaff's Day" - a tongue-in-cheek name for the end of women's leisure (there was/is no saint by this name). Men, on the other hand, were off until "Plough Monday" - the first Monday after the Twelfth Day.

I know that while cleaning the house for Christmas Eve dinner I felt like I was earning my twelve days of rest, and am glad it has come! Merry Christmas to you and yours from all of us at Twelve Days!

Many old folk traditions to foretell the future became associated with the Twelve Days of Christmas. For instance, dreams during the Twelve Nights were believed to foreshadow events that would occur in the ensuing year. The weather  (sun, wind, snow, rain) on the Twelve Days of Christmas was thought to predict the weather for each of the corresponding twelve months of the new year. 

It was not just the country folk who believed in the predictive value of the Twelve Days: Tycho Brahe, a pioneering 16th-century astronomer, theorized that the configuration of the heavenly bodies could be used to forecast the weather in the coming months and meticulously recorded his observations during the Twelve Days of Christmas to test his theory. Although predicting weather by the Twelve Days is not a quaint relic in the Old Farmer's Almanac, this is not as far-fetched as it may seem - scientists today still study events in space to analyze their potential effects on our weather.

The Astronomical Observations: The Moon, 1711, by Donato Creti

Gift idea: Favorite family recipes 

Gift idea: a cozy tour of Christmas lights in your neighborhood

Makes a good gift for: Anyone!

If you are like me, then you LOVE Christmas lights. I love every evening when the lights switch on (ours are on a timer) and seeing them shimmer and flash through the windows. I love bundling up and taking the dog out for a walk and oohing and aahing at the great lights in our neighborhood.

A fun last-minute and very low-cost gift would be to take a Christmas-light lover like me on a cozy tour of the best lights in the area. You should scope out a couple neighborhoods a few nights before and take notes as to where the best places are. Then arrange (or surprise) your guest of honor with a tour - complete with a travel mug of hot cocoa or hot cider, and of course some Christmas music! You could wrap up the evening by stopping somewhere to get a slice of pie, or maybe a milkshake. Sounds like a fun night to me!

Gift idea: DIY Crafts 

Ingredients needed: 
4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1.5 cups warm water
Paint and decorations for the ornaments 

For instructions, see thehappyhousewife.com

Make your own gardener’s hand scrub – great gift for a gardener or mechanic, or just someone who needs a little pampering. 

Ingredients needed: 

Sugar 

Dawn dish soap with Olay Beauty Hand Renewal (this is what the blogger used, but I bet this would work with any kind of dish soap) 

Jars to put the hand scrub in 

For instructions, see onegoodthingbyjilee.com

Make your own play dough – a fun gift to make for kids, and a fun activity to do with kids. 

Ingredients needed: 

Flour 

Salt 

Water 

Vegetable oil 

Cream of tarter 

Food coloring 

Containers to store/give the play dough in 

For instructions, see anartnest.squarespace.com

Homemade finger paints – another fun gift to make for little ones – and totally non-toxic! 

Ingredients needed: 

Sugar 

Salt 

Corn starch 

Water 

Food coloring 

Jars for storing/giving the paint in 

For instructions, see theberry.com

Today, December 21, is the Winter Solstice. That mean's a couple of things: today is the shortest day of the year, tonight is the longest night of the year, and today is the first day of Winter. Lots of different cultures celebrate this time of year with some kind of fire ritual.

Midwinter Fire Rituals in Ancient Europe

The great solstice fire festivals of ancient Europe lived on during the Twelve Days: Yule Logs, bonfires, torches, and ceremonial candles were all still burned to secure good fortune, fertility for livestock, and bountiful crops in the new year. The smaller household Yule log was usually burned during the Twelve Nights, or for at least a minimum of twelve hours. The wood of the Yule log itself was steeped in special powers: the prior year's ashes were strewn over the fallow fiels during the Twelve Days to ensure the vigor of next year's crops; the number of sparks when the log was stoked predicted the number of  calves, piglets, chicks, etc. in the spring; a piece of the log's charred remnants was saved to protect the house from lightning during thunderstorms - to name just a few beliefs! The charred remnant was finally used to kindle the new log at the beginning of the next Twelve Days.

In some places, a massive candle was burned instead - its light must not go out on its own or the luck of the family would be "blown away." In other areas, bonfires were lit on Twelfth Night and, in simulation of the life-giving power of the sun, villagers ran with blazing torches throughout the fields and orchards to promote a good harvest.

The Yule Log was also important to protect households from Odin's entourage of unearthly creatures, who were feared to roam the earth during the Twelve Nights. It was also a bad omen if the Yule Log burned out before the end of the Twelve Days.

The Yule Log is one of the most deep-rooted and widespread customs still enjoyed today - from the more traditional Yule Logs still burned in families' fireplaces to the buche de noel cake decorated to look just like a log ready for the fire, to the televised burning Yule log broadcast on Christmas for those without a fireplace of their own.

Twelve Days Solstice Festivals in the Ancient Near East

The Mesopotamians held an annual festival for the twelve days surrounding the winter solstice to cheer on their sun god as he battled to conquer the monsters of darkness and chaos. The ordinary social distinctions were suspended for the duration of the victory celebrations, and parades and masquerades were held where everyone mingled together. The ancient Persians held a similar solstice celebration with bonfires burning all night to help their god of light and day defeat the evil god of darkness and night.

Ancient Slavic Midwinter Rituals

In the lands of the ancient Slavic tribes, both sun gods and sun goddesses were revered. Their winter solstice festivals lasted ten to twelve days and were a time when Slavs honored their departed ancestors with fires to keep them warm and feasts to keep them fed, hoping to elicit their assistance in defeating the dark forces that were overpowering the old sun. Young men dressed in animal costumes (bears and horned animals such as goats and stags) and went about singing and shouting to chase away the evil spirits of winter.

Some last minute Christmas Gift/DIY Gift Ideas will be coming your way from now until Christmas.

Gift idea: Gift cards, and then some

Magazine subscriptions: Every year I get Jonathon a gift subscription to Harpers Magazine. Its only $10, and it lasts all year! Lots of magazines have deals these days where if you buy one subscription you can get a second free, or very cheap – so you could always do magazine subscriptions for multiple people, or treat yourself!

Event tickets: Do you know someone who loves a certain sports team, comedian, artist or play? Search the web to see if they are playing nearby and buy a couple tickets. Giving the gift of an experience like this can be a lot of fun.

Tomorrow, December 21, is the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, or, if you are a glass half-full kind of person, the longest night of the year. It marks a turning point - towards longer days and moving towards spring. These long-nights, especially those between Christmas and Epiphany were a time of much superstition in olden times.

During the Twelve Nights, old superstitions persisted that even more frightening otherworldly beings also wandered the earth. It was thought best to be safe inside with the door barred during the Twelve Nights and hope that Odin and his cortege of spectral hunters, wolves, and lost souls would quickly pass overhead. 

In other areas (such as enclaves of the Balkans and Slavic lands), fearsome creatures from the underworld - malevolent werewolfe-like goblins who dwelt underground the rest of the year - roamed above ground during these nights. They attempted to enter houses through the chimney. To keep safe, embers were kept burning on the hearth  all night long. The goblins were driven away for another year by the ceremonial "blessing of the waters" on Epiphany.

Fishermen also believed that the sea was not safe during the Twelve Days, so they stayed in port from Christmas Day until the waters of the sea were also blessed in the ceremonies on Epiphany.

The Ride of the Valkyries, Arthur Rackham

Gift idea: Soap 

1.     There’s much more to the Twelve Days of Christmas than the famous carol. The Twelve Days, also known as Christmastide and         Yuletide, are a 12-day season of celebration, gift-giving and relaxing of restrictions that was once as popular as the one-day celebration of Christmas is today.

2.     The Twelve Days come after Christmas Day, not before!  Besides confusing the Twelve Days with a countdown to Christmas, there is also some debate about whether they start on December 25 or 26. The historical evidence best supports December 26 as the First Day of Christmas, and January 6 - Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day - as the Twelfth Day.

3.     In times past, Twelfth Night was the grand finale of the Yuletide season filled with dances, feasts and revels. So why was Twelfth Night celebrated on the evening of January 5th, not the 6th?  This is because in days gone by people considered the evening the start of a new day, not midnight as we do today. Likewise, the first night of the Twelve Days of Christmas is the evening of December 25th.

4.     Why 12 days? Many social historians believe that the timing and duration of the Christmas season are inherited from pre-Christian midwinter festivals that coincided with the Winter Solstice. Early peoples also reckoned time by the moon, and over the course of a year, there is roughly a 12-day difference between the solar and lunar calendars. This 12-day difference was set aside as a special "time out of time", filled with supernatural events and folklore.

5.     In some medieval cultures, the Twelve Nights was a time that evil spirits roamed. Some also believed that immoral men could be transformed into werewolves for the duration of the Twelve Days.

6.     Special food and drink traditions abound during the Twelve Days, beginning with Christmas and continuing at New Year. Twelfth Night has its own traditions: toasting with wassail and special cakes variously called Twelfth Night Cakes, Bean Cakes or Kings' Cakes filled with good luck charms.

7.     Burning the Yule Log throughout the Twelve Days was an ancient custom to protect the home and the family gathered there during this period. The Yule Log tradition still lingers – at least for a few hours – in its annual appearance on cable TV, and in cakes shaped like Yule Logs.

8.     Although Santa Claus is the most well-known dispenser of gifts, there are a number of other mystical gift-bringers around the world who arrive and depart during the Twelve Days. Among them: the Befana, the Babushka, Frau Holle, the mischievous Nordic Yule elves and the Three Kings.

9.     The Twelve Days of Christmas is one of the oldest Christmas carols still sung today. Like other aspects of the Twelve Days, its origin is a matter of debate, but there is strong evidence that it dates to at least the 16th century and is likely even older.

10.  All of the gifts mentioned in the carol really add up – 364 gifts in all! The cost of giving all the gifts in the carol – the so-called Christmas Price Index – exceeded $100,000 for the first time in 2011.

11.  The Twelve Days carol was once a popular party game in the 1700-1800s where making a mistake in the lyrics meant you would have to give up a small token, sweet, or perhaps even a kiss!

12.  The often-repeated tale that the lyrics of the Twelve Days carol were a secret code designed to help Catholics living in Protestant England remember religious doctrine is simply a modern day Christmas myth that lives on in the internet despite having been debunked.

Gift idea: iPhone/smart phone Accessories 

One of my favorite parts about the Christmas season is getting to bring a tree in to my living room. I love the smell of an evergreen tree, and having one right next to my couch can't really be beat. I am certainly not alone in my love for greenery. In fact, ancient cultures also used greenery to symbolize good luck and ward off evil-spirits during the darkest days of the year.

The Romans decorated with greenery for the New Year and also gave each other gifts known as strenae, sprigs and green branches gathered from the sacred groves of the woodland goddess of strength and endurance, Strenia. These evergreens were symbols of good luck for the year ahead. Sweet honeyed dates, figs, or small pieces of jewelry sometimes accompanied the strenae. Children were given small gifts, such as clay figurines or bags of nuts that could also be used as game tokens. To this day, gifts during the Christmas season are known as strenna in Italy and New Year's gifts are etrenne in France.

In preparation for the Twelve Days, prickly holly was placed around windows and doors - like evergreen barbed wire - to keep the roaming evil spirits, witches, goblins and trolls from entering the home and to protect the good fairies. Every sprig of evergreen had to be removed by the Twelfth Say or else bad luck would fall upon the home. The admonition to take down evergreens at the end of the Twelve Days was also applied to Christmas trees after they were incorporated into our Christmas customs.

Mistletoe, the only exception to this rule, could be left up until the start of the next Twelve Days since it was thought to protect the home from lightening and fire. Our ancestors held mistletoe in awe because it remained green all year and bore its white berry fruit in winter when the trees on which it grew seemed lifeless. In the days of the Celtic Druids, this magical plant was gathered on special days in accordance with the cycles of the moon and was at its peak of power after the winter solstice.

One More Week Until Christmas!

Gift idea: Key chains 

Did you know that Christmas presents used to be hung on the tree, instead of placed under the tree? In the 1800s, Victorian ladies' magazines promoted hanging presents on a Christmas fir tree and illustrated examples of tree trimming activities such as interwoven ribbons to hold gifts like dolls, toy horses, and little wagons on the tree itself.

Some of the earliest ornaments were fruits such as apples, pears and nuts - treats to savor when the tree was taken down at the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas. As time when on, homemade sweets, such as sturdy gingerbread cookies, also awaited on the tree's branches. While these goodies could be hung on the tree's boughs by strings or cords or carefully balanced in the crook of a branch, they were more secure when tucked into a delicately woven miniature basket or folded paper cone. These presents were more of a surprise and delight when the container's contents were revealed only upon being taken off the tree. Before long, these homemade containers were used to hold small handcrafted gifts or toys for the children.

Popular periodicals published instructions to make containers to hang on the tree, including candy boxes in various shapes and cardboard cornucopias covered in paper (see image at left). Advertisements showed fancy ready-made boxes covered with paper cutouts of Santa or angels, and embellished with velvet, feathers, or fringe. These ornate containers were both elaborate ornamentation for the tree and holders for Christmas presents like nuts, candies, small gifts and toys like marbles or jacks.

Even children's periodicals featured stories of Santa himself hanging little packages and treats one by one on the family's tree, instead of inside their stockings, or under the tree.

Dresdens

Another popular way to hang presents on the tree were Dresdens - three-dimensional hollow containers made of damp cardboard sheets that were molded and embossed into all sorts of fanciful shapes, such as suns, moons, sleighs, and every animal imaginable. They were then painted and lacquered to look as if they were made of gilded metal. While they were beautiful containers in which to hang candy on the Christmas tree, they were not very durable.

Christmas Cornucopia

Dresdens

Barnum's Animal Crackers Boxes

One of the best examples of a box designed to hold treats on a Christmas tree - and still widely available today - is the Barnum's Animal Cracker's box, a favorite childhood memory for over one hundred years. In 1902, the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) launched the circus car box as a Christmas promotion, with the string attached so that the box of Barnum's Animal Crackers could be hung directly on the Christmas tree. The string has remained a part of the package ever since then.

Gift idea: Brain teaser puzzles 

Gift idea: Candy 

Gift idea: Small Candles 

This twelfth cake (also known as Three Kings' Cake or King's Cake) is very different from the French twelfth cake. Instead of a yeasty-bread type cake, this cake is much denser, and contains rum-soaked fruit, currants and raisins. It is a much shorter recipe, although it does cook slowly at a low temperature. This recipe also calls for a dry bean and a dry pea - whoever finds the pea and the bean in their pieces are the king and queen of the evening's revelries. As the recipe says - the bean determines the king and the pea determines the queen.

Cake ingredients:

• 1/4 cup white rum
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1/2 cup candied fruit pieces (I used a fruit-cake mix)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 dried pea
• 1 dried bean

Instruction for the cake:

Golden Almond Icing Ingredients:

This Week's Gift Theme: Stocking Stuffers

Gift Idea: Classic Toys and Miniature Classic Toys

Wassailing was an old country tradition that took place on Twelfth Night or "Old Christmas Eve," especially in areas where cider apples were grown. Right before dark that wassail (spiced ale or hard cider topped with roasted apples) would be prepared and ladled into the special wassail bowl (similar to a punch bowl with handles). The village would gather at the orchard after dark with the wassail on hand and proceed to bang pots, shoot off guns, and make a racket to frighten away any evil spirits that could still be lurking about on this last night of Christmas. This commotion would also help to begin to "wake up" the trees from their winter hibernation. The trees were blessed with thanks and urged with rhyming chants to produce an even better crop in the new year. The oldest, most venerable tree's health would be "toasted" with a piece of wassail-soaked bread or cake placed in its branches. 

If wassail was left over after regaling the trees, then the ceremonies would conclude with the villagers quenching their own thirst before returning home. In some areas, the young people would go from house to house in the village, singing wassail songs and receiving small gifts or treats in return.

Wassail is an old Middle English contraction of waes hael, meaning "be health" or "be whole," that was derived from the old Norse ves heill "to be healthy." The reply to waes hael was drinc hael, or "drink and be healthy." The modern expression "hale and hearty" shares the same roots.

Recipes:

A Swinging Wassail

Gift idea: Christmas Eve goodies 

On 12-12-12, I thought a post about the significance of the number 12 would be nothing but appropriate, so here you go:

The Role of the Moon 

Ancient Egyptians

The ancient Egyptians were one of the first people to develop a twelve-month calendar that was based only on the sun instead of the moon. They also divided the day and the night in to twelve hours each. 

Mesopotamians and Ancient Persians 

The Mesopotamians held an annual fire festival for twelve days surrounding the winter solstice (the twelve shortest days of the year) to cheer on their sun god as he battled to conquer the monsters of darkness and chaos. The ancient Persians held a similar solstice celebration with bonfires burning all night to help their god of light and day defeat the evil god of darkness and night. 

Ancient Slavic Rituals 

In the lands of the ancient Slavic tribes, both sun gods and sun goddesses were revered during their winter solstice festivals, which lasted ten to twelve days and were a time when Slavs honored their departed ancestors with fires to keep them warm and feasts to keep them fed, hoping to elicit their assistance in defeating the dark forces that were overpowering the old sun.

Gift idea: Fire pit and/or s’mores kit 

Two More Weeks Until Christmas!

Gift Idea: Arts and Crafts Kits

Gift idea: Root Beer Kit 

Gift idea: Puzzles

Puzzle Ball - The Globe - Uncommon Goods - $40.00

Gift idea: Hot Cocoa Set

BellaRoseChocolates on Etsy - $8.50

The Urn of Fate

Instead of a bowl full of jelly, how about a bowl full of presents? Ancient Romans exchanged gifts for luck in the New Year, and many Italian families still take turns drawing small gifts by chance from a large bowl called the "Urn of Fate" at their Christmas gatherings.

For more information on Italian Christmas traditions, check out this page, and this page.

Boxes of Hope and Goodwill

In the Middle Ages, earthenware boxes with a slit on top for coins became known as Christmas boxes. On the First Day of Christmas, the nobility distributed these boxes to their servants who later broke them open to receive the small sums of money inside. Other boxes were used as a Yuletide tip jar for guild tradesman (the material used for these boxes was called pygg - the predecessor of piggy banks).

During Advent, donations were collected in churches and monasteries in alms boxes also referred to as Christmas boxes. On the day after Christmas, these boxes were opened and the contents were distributed among the poor. Still other boxes were kept aboard sailing ships for donations to the priest who would offer mass - Christ-mass - prayers upon the safe return of the sailors.

Not surprisingly, the First Day of Christmas (December 26th) is still known as Boxing Day in many parts of the world that once formed the British empire.

This Week's Gift Theme: Gifts for Families

Gift idea: Family Friendly Games 

KXII, a Dallas-area CBS station, recently did a show on educational Christmas gifts for kids. They featured our Twelve Days Gift Boxes -- and our Twelve Days of Classic Toys gift set, as one of their favorite items.

Watch the segment here:

Saint Nicholas 

The Ladies of Winter: Frau Holle and Frau Berchta/Perchta

Frau Holle (meaning "kind lady") is a winter time character of Germanic heritage. Frau Holle dresses in glistening white and carries keys that unlock all doors. She makes her journey during the Twelve Nights to carry out her judgments and dispense gifts to the deserving. In days gone by, she was revered as the protector of children and the patron of spinning and other "women's work." The winter weather was equated with her daily activities: it rained on her washing day, thundered as she spun, and soft snow fell when she shook out her featherbed.

All spinning work had to be completed and the house spotlessly cleaned by Christmas Eve so that Frau Holle would not be displeased when she arrived on her rounds during the Twelve Nights. She would tangle the threads of any incomplete work but reward the industrious by filling empty spindles and leaving treats of her favorite apples and nuts for good children. Some might be especially fortunate and find a coin that dropped from her unfurled cape during her visit.

Frau Holle's counterpart in more southern alpine areas was Frau Berchta or Frau Perchta (meaning "bright, shining lady") who also roamed the countryside and entered homes during the Twelve Nights. She generally had the more frightening appearance of a witch and meted our harsher punishments to the lazy, but the old crone still had a soft spot for those who had been good during the year, leaving nuts and sugarplums or placing a small silver coin in the shoes before departing. 

Image: Winter, 1896, by Alphonse Maria Mucha

Elves

In Nordic folklore, mischievous elves arrive before Christmas one by one and depart one by one each day beginning on December 25, with the last elf leaving on January 6. Although the elves may still try to play tricks on people, nowadays their main task is to leave a series of small gifts in children's shoes placed on the windowsill.

Image: from The Helpful Elves by August Kopisch

Odin

Over the centuries Odin changed from a fearsome war-lord to a charitable Santa Clause-esque fellow. Odin now might leave a loaf of bread at a poor family's home, based on information he gathered by eavesdropping from the shadows at the edge of the Yule fire (again, much like Santa, he knows what you are up to). Children began to look forward to Odin's visits during the Twelve Nights, leaving straw in their shoes for his magic eight-legged horse (perhaps a precursor to Santa's eight reindeer)  in the hopes of finding small gifts and treats as rewards for their good behavior during the past year.

There is more information on Odin available on Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Mythica, and Ancientmythology.com.

For more on Odin's role as a pre-cursor to Santa Claus, check out this Wikipedia page, this article from Examiner.com, and this article on helium.com.

Image: Odin the Wanderer, 1896, by George von Rosen

The Three Kings

On the night of January 5, the Twelfth Night of Christmas and the eve of Epiphany, the Three Kings astride their camel, horse and elephant, leave presents in the straw-filled shoes of children and adults across Spain, Mexico, Latin America and other parts of the spanish-speaking world. 

Image: The Adoration of the Magi, 1674, by Jan de Bray

La Befana

On the same night that the Three Kings are visiting spanish-speaking children, Italian children are visited by La Befana, a benevolent old woman with magical powers. Legend says she helped the Wise Men during their journey but only belatedly decided to follow them after she finished her sweeping. She flies with a straw broom, enters homes through the chimney, and leaves gifts of candied fruit, sweets, and toys in children's socks even if they are not the one holy child she seeks.

More information on La Befana on Wikipedia and about.com.

Babushka

A similar story is told about the grandmotherly Russian Babushka, who delays accompanying the Three Kings until the tidies her house. She sets off with her gifts but also never catches up, tenderly leaving a gift for each sleeping child she finds, ever hopeful.

Apparently there is an award winning children's book on Babushka (or Baboushka) by Ruth Robbins. Its available on Amazon.

Gift idea: Wi-Fi/RC Toys 

Remote Control Cloud Force Helicopter - $39.99

App-controlled tank: