We do love a good old sing song over the Christmas period. You can hear lots of Christmas Carols being sung on the streets and in churches in the weeks leading up to and the days following Christmas. It is one thing I miss living here in France. I thought I would keep the tradition alive with my girls and enjoy a few carols here, over the pond!
One of these carols is "The Twelve Days of Christmas". It's a carol that is often sung in Classrooms in the UK too. It a fun cumulative song that has twelve verses, each describing a gift given by "my true love" on one of the twelve days of Christmas. The twelve days in the song are the twelve days starting with Christmas Day to the day before Epiphany, or the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6, or the Twelfth Day). The eve of the Epiphany, formerly the last day of the Christmas festivities and observed as a time of merry making.
It's a great song to revise ordinal numbers and counting backwards from 12 This makes it ideal for a young learners English class! It could be used in the days running up to Christmas or the 12 days that follow Christmas.
We have been enjoying a lovely peep-through picture book of the 12 days of Christmas that brings the verses of the song to life (see the link above) There are two little elves who appear on each page and engage in a variety of wintery activities that tie in with the rhyme, for example sharing a glass of milk from the milkmaids and rowing a boat when the swans are introduced. Both my girls (6 and 3) adore it.
I've written some massage strokes to accompany the song, which makes it a lovely way to relax and connect with your children
during the Christmas period. All the strokes come from the wonderful Mary at Story Massage over in the UK.
Here is the Children's BBC version of the carol and some beautiful nature photos here too.
The twelve days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree (calm)
On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Two turtle doves and (fan)
A partridge in a pear tree
On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Three French hens (claw)
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree
On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Four calling birds (fan)
Three French hens
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree
On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Five golden rings…(circles)
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree
On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Six geese a-laying (bounce)
Five golden rings…
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree
On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Seven swans a-swimming (wave)
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings…
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree
On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eight maids a-milking (squeeze)
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings…
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree
On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Nine ladies dancing (big circles)
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings…
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree
On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Ten lords a-leaping (bounce)
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings…
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree
On the eleventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eleven pipers piping (sprinkle)
Ten lords a-leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings…
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree
On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming (drum)
Eleven pipers piping (sprinkle)
Ten lords a-leaping (bounce)
Nine ladies dancing (big circles)
Eight maids a-milking (squeeze)
Seven swans a-swimming (wave)
Six geese a-laying (bounce)
Five golden rings…(circles)
Four calling birds (fan)
Three French hens (claw)
Two turtle doves and (fan)
A partridge in a pear tree (calm)