Start A Tradition: 12 Days Of Christmas
A friend back in college, Ann, used to get 12 Days of Christmas gifts from her dad. Some days, it’d be something small like a few of her favorite candy, other days would be a sweatshirt or money. That tradition has stuck in my mind, even more than a decade later.
I liked the idea of a thoughtful surprise – daily.
When I began dating Mr. Wonderful, I did 12 Days of Christmas for him – some gifts were silly, like a book of bad album covers; others were a little more thoughtful, like his favorite treats snuck into his lunch bag to surprise him, or a love letter.
I did a spin off of the 12 Days with my kids last year, only some “gifts” were outings instead of physical presents. For one, we drove around to look at Christmas lights while the kids got special treats in the car (or slept in their carseat…I’m looking at you, Mooch). One gift was a Christmas book each. Another gift was an activity – building a gingerbread house, sledding, that sort of thing.
It takes some planning, which is hard with so much going on. In the Pinterest age, 12 Days of Christmas has expanded to a month’s worth. It’s a little overwhelming.
These people are overachievers (but good sources for ideas if you decide to do 12 Days of Christmas). But 12, 12 is manageable. I have yet to decide if I’ll do it this year for the kids. Better decide soon, huh?
How about you, do you like the idea of 12 Days of Christmas?
