The Twelve Days of Christmas: Unwrapping the Gifts

The traditional twelve days of Christmas run from December 26 through January 6 and are known as the 'Feast of the epiphany', the date on which Christian tradition recalls the magi's arrival to present gifts to the infant Jesus. "The Twelve Days Of Christmas: Unwrapping The Gifts" by Curtis Almquist, SSJE (the Superior at the Society of Saint John the Evangelist in Cambridge, Massachusetts) invites the readers to avoid the holiday hype and commercial overkill of the season to reflect on the source of all the good gifts of life - love, forgiveness, joy, hope, peace, compassion, and sharing. These are the gifts of the Christmas that last a lifetime and even an eternity. "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" is strongly recommended to the attention of all Christians, regardless of their denominational affiliation, wanting to 'put Christ back in Christmas'.

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (10/06) While almost everyone in the United States is familiar with the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," few people understand the sacred meaning of these days, instead finding themselves mired down in anticipation of Christmas Day itself, losing sight of the bigger picture. The twelve days of Christmas begin on December 26 and run through January 6, Epiphany Day, when we celebrate the arrival of the Magi to present their gifts to the baby Jesus. This book takes us day-by-day through the twelve days and gives us reasons to celebrate each day. Here's a brief summary of a few days. Day 1: The gift of God's love for us. Day 4: The gift of joy. The author illustrates this point with a story of being stuck in an airport with weather delays, when a group of ballroom dancers staged an impromptu show for them. What a wonderful present, to make so many stressed and worried people happy. Day 8: The gift of humility. We are urged to make space in our lives for others, to respect them for who and what they are. Listen to other people, not only with your ears, but also with your heart. Day 11: The gift of peace. This is the promise of Christ's peace, given freely to all mankind, as written in the Bible. Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you." Accept this peace in your heart and use it to ward off such feeling as envy, hate or rage. Peace in our hearts will change the world. "The Twelve Days of Christmas: Unwrapping the Gifts" should be read slowly, chapter-by-chapter, on each of the twelve days leading to the Epiphany, trying to put into practice what you have learned.

How many of us know that the twelve days of Christmas actually run from December 26 through January 6. In our communities, we're so busy with the 'things' of Christmas that by December 26 we're ready to put the celebration to bed for another year. The Twelve Days of Christmas: Unwrapping the Gifts is an inspirational message of hope that includes the topics of love, revelation, forgiveness, joy, hope, humility, companionship, gratitude, peace and the gift of a name and blessing. Each reader will have a favorite reading. My favorite comes from the chapter, The Gift of a Name. "Jesus. The name both identifies Jesus--that is, sets him apart from us--yet also gives us access to him." It's a beautiful message. Armchair Interviews says: The Twelve Days of Christmas is the perfect gift to give to yourself, or to someone you care about. It will be treasured each time it is read.