12 Days of Christmas

There are a great many things people do for the Christmas season. I was trying to think of ways I could do something special this year. Reading this month's Ensign, there was an article "As Christ Comforts Us" about an LDS family who ended up moving to New Zealand. They were there for the Christmas season and had come in contact with an Irish family of another Christian faith who were also spending this holiday far from the people they knew. They decided that they'd do the American tradition of the 12 Days of Christmas. Even some of youth from their ward became involved. Since that time, this other family and their congregation they met with for church, all believed the 12 Days of Christmas to be something members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do.

It got me thinking though. I decided I wanted to do the 12 Days of Christmas for one of the girls I visit teach. I looked all over the internet for ideas for this. I've never done this before. So I wasn't sure what the tradition was. Then I found this site. It had a little poem thing to use with ideas as what to give each person for that day. Mixing them up a little and adjusting the words to my own use I came up with the following:

On the first day of Christmas I've often heard it said

It's nice to give someone you love a loaf of homemade bread. 

On the second day of Christmas the rushing never stops,

So stop and sit a little while with these two lollipops. 

On the third day of Christmas three packages of jello -

The light dessert, the bright dessert, red, green and yellow. 

It's the fourth day of Christmas and I bet you thought we'd miss you

We didn't though, and here you have four rolls of bathroom tissue. 

On the fifth day of Christmas five treats of sugar sweet.

We hope that you will soon enjoy the taste that can't be beat. 

On the sixth day of Christmas, it will soon be Christmas night,

We give you six blue candles to put you in the light. 

On the seventh day of Christmas, good wishes we are sending,

With seven chocolate puddings to help you (3 syllables and end in -ing). 

On the eighth day of Christmas, with Santa coming soon,

We've brought you eight nice bright balloons to decorate your room. 

On the ninth day of Christmas we know you're on the run.

So we want you to slow right down and have a little fun. 

On the tenth day of Christmas this rhyme is near its end,

Along with ten sweet angels which from us to you we send. 

On the eleventh day of Christmas it was getting hard to choose

But with eleven candy canes we felt we could not lose. 

On the twelfth day of Christmas, twelve fruits you'll find in here.

Sent with love and the hope that we've brought a touch of cheer.

And as a final note we add, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

For each day, I'm going to deliver that day's portion of the poem along with the part that's mentioned in the lines itself. Obviously, you can change it to read whatever you'd like it to say. But it's a lot of fun to have it rhyme.

I'm excited for tomorrow! That's when I'm going to get started on doorbell ditching it at random points throughout the day. What's going to be fun is that when I shared this thought with my mother, she asked if I'd do this for my little brother too. It's so fun to do things for other people. It's fun to imagine their excitement and their total loss of what is going on. What's going to be really interesting is that the girl I visit teach? I've never seen her or met her or even know her and vice versa. This'll be a good opportunity to do something for her. What makes it harder is that I won't even be in town after this month, but I still want her to know that someone care for her and hope she's doing well.

The first day of Christmas starts tomorrow! I'm a bit ecstatic! Hope you too have found something to do for your fellowman this Christmas season.