A week or so ago, inspiration hit and I wrote a poem/song about some of my favorite Durham things. I learned a bit in the process. The Twelve Days of Christmas begins December 25 and ends on the eve of January 5. January 6 is Epiphany, when the wise men made it to the baby Jesus with their gifts. That's the day for eating a King's Cake. These traditions were brought over from Europe when our country was settled back in the day. (Such precise history information here...)
The Twelve Days of Christmas song is an English Christmas carol first published in 1780. But my research (thanks to wikipedia, as always) shows that this song is French in origin. Oui, c'est vrai. I do plan to ask my Frenchie friends if they ever actually sing it or even know it. It is called La foi de la loi and the gifts are... yes, you guessed it, food items (well, most of them are). Here's the sequence:
a good stuffing without bones, two breasts of veal, three joints of beef, four pigs' trotters, five legs of mutton, six partridges with cabbage, seven spitted rabbits, eights plates of salad, nine dishes for a chapter of canons, ten full casks, eleven beautiful full-breasted maidens, and twelve musketeers with their swords.
There are many, many versions of this song here in the US, from Jeff Foxworthy's redneck version (featuring hunting dogs, flannel shirts, and Spam) to Sesame Street's song, which includes three French friends.
If you are not familiar with the American/English version, here's the sequence I learned:
a partridge in a pear tree, two turtledoves, three French hens, four calling birds, five golden rings, six geese a-laying, seven swans a-swimming, eight maids a-milking, nine ladies dancing, ten lords a-leaping, eleven pipers piping, and twelve drummers drumming.
And finally, here is my version:
2011 Twelve Days of A Durham Christmas
On the First day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
A TROSA Christmas tree.
On the Second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Two DPAC season tickets and a TROSA Christmas tree.
On the Third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Three Vin Rouge dinners, two DPAC season tickets, and a TROSA Christmas tree.
On the Fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Four Elodie Farms cheeses, three Vin Rouge dinners, two DPAC season tickets, and a TROSA Christmas tree.
On the Fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Five Bull City burgers, four Vin Rouge dinners, three Elodie Farms cheeses, two DPAC season tickets, and a TROSA Christmas tree.
On the Sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Six Friday nights at Alivia's, five Bull City burgers, four Elodie Farms cheeses, three Vin Rouge dinners, two DPAC season tickets, and a TROSA Christmas tree.
On the Seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Seven Dolly Mama chocolates, six Friday nights at Alivia's, five Bull City burgers, four Elodie Farms cheeses, three Vin Rouge dinners, two DPAC season tickets, and a TROSA Christmas tree.
On the Eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Eight Carolina Theatre movie passes, seven Dolly Mama chocolates, six Friday nights at Alivia's, five Bull City burgers, four Elodie Farms cheeses, three Vin Rouge dinners, two DPAC season tickets, and a TROSA Christmas tree.
On the Ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Nine Foster's coffee refills, eight Carolina Theatre movie passes, seven Dolly Mama chocolates, six Friday nights at Alivia's, five Bull City burgers, four Elodie Farms cheeses, three Vin Rouge dinners, two DPAC season tickets, and a TROSA Christmas tree.
On the Tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Ten Farmers' Market visits, nine Foster's coffee refills, eight Carolina Theatre movie passes, seven Dolly Mama chocolates, six Friday nights at Alivia's, five Bull City burgers, four Elodie Farms cheeses, three Vin Rouge dinners, two DPAC season passes, and a TROSA Christmas tree.
On the Eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Eleven Wine Authorities tastings, ten Farmers' Market visits, nine Foster's coffee refills, eight Carolina Theatre movie passes, seven Dolly Mama chocolates, six Friday nights at Alivia's, five Bull City burgers, four Elodie Farms cheeses, three Vin Rouge dinners, two DPAC season tickets, and a TROSA Christmas tree.
On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Twelve Durham Bulls baseball games, eleven Wine Authorities tastings, ten Farmers' Market visits, nine Foster's coffee refills, eight Carolina Theatre movie passes, seven Dolly Mama chocolates, six Friday nights at Alivia's, five Bull City burgers, four Elodie Farms cheeses, three Vin Rouge dinners, two DPAC season tickets, and a TROSA Christmas tree.
I will leave you with John Denver and The Muppets performing The Twelve Days of Christmas. If this doesn't put you in the Christmas spirit, you may be hopeless!
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