How to Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas With Your Family
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Can you believe we’re heading into another holiday season? (I can’t!)
If you’re looking for ways to make this year extra special, you’re in the right place. Today’s blog post covers five ways to celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with your family.
In this post, I’m going to cover some fun Twelve Days of Christmas activity ideas. Then we’ll talk about themed Christmas gifts and a few other ways you could celebrate.
Sound like something you’d like to explore further? Then let’s get started!
What Are the 12 Days of Christmas?
If you celebrate Christmas, it’s pretty likely that you’ve heard the song “The 12 Days of Christmas.” If you need a little refresher, the gifts in the song are as follows:
- A partridge in a pear tree
- Two turtle doves
- 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
- Twelve drummers drumming
The song was written hundreds of years ago, and there have been many variations over the years. But exactly what are the twelve days of Christmas?
Traditionally, the 12 Days of Christmas was a time of rest and feasting. It spans from Christmas Day to the Epiphany, or from December 25 through January 6.
Some families prefer to celebrate during the days leading up to Christmas instead. Some even celebrate during the entire 24 days leading up to Christmas! They often give gifts, open an Advent calendar, or enjoy traditional Christmas activities together each day.
It doesn’t matter whether you celebrate the traditional way or during Advent. What truly matters: spending time with your family, making precious memories.
Twelve Days of Christmas Family Activities
How exactly do families celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas? There are several different ways to do just that.
Want to teach your kids the true spirit of Christmas? You could choose a theme to follow, such as The Twelve Days of Kindness. During this time, you would spend time volunteering together or doing kind acts for people around the community.
Is your goal to just relax and spend quality time together? Perhaps you could choose a different activity to try each of the twelve days. Consider this idea….
Choose fun activities that correspond with the number of each day. For example:
- Day 1: Make ONE Christmas wreath.
- Day 2: Play TWO board games.
- Day 3: Read THREE Christmas stories.
Or in theme of the song:
- A partridge in a pear tree = Decorate the Christmas tree
- Two turtle doves = Share a bag of Dove chocolates
- Three French hens = Make a chicken dinner together as a family
Those are just a few examples, and you can customize the activities as you see fit. You can also find my full list of 12 Days of Christmas Activities for Families here.
As you can see, the activities don’t have to be anything crazy – keep it simple and on par with the theme.
In the coming sections, we’ll cover some more ways you can spend the twelve days. I’ll share ideas for acts of kindness, gift ideas, movies to watch, and books to read.
Twelve Days of Kindness
If you’d like to teach the kids about being charitable, the holiday season is the perfect time for that. Spend time volunteering, perform acts of service, or donate items to people in need.
A few ideas:
- Donate gifts to a child. The sad fact is that many children go without gifts during the holidays. Find local programs that connect you with children in need and choose gifts together as a family.
- Volunteer at the humane society. You can assist with tasks like cleaning, feeding, or spending time with the animals. If your kids are too young to volunteer, collect supplies or donate food to the shelter instead.
- Sing Christmas carols at a nursing home. Visit a nursing home to sing carols and lift the spirits of the residents, brightening their day.
- Bake for the neighbors. Get the family together to bake cookies, cakes, or other goodies. Then package them up and deliver them to your neighbors.
- Donate to the food shelf. Many families struggle to put food on the table, especially during the holiday season. Gather your family and shop for non-perishable items to donate to your local food shelf.
- Leave treats for delivery drivers. Delivery drivers work tirelessly during the holidays. Leaving them a basket of bottled water or small treats is a thoughtful way to show your appreciation.
- Clean up a neighbor’s yard or driveway. Lend a helping hand by shoveling snow, raking leaves, or clearing debris from their yard.
- Donate winter gear to those in need. You could either make or collect hats, mittens, and scarves as a family. Then donate them to local shelters or community centers to help keep others warm this winter.
- Pay for the person behind you. Whether at a drive-thru or in line at the grocery store, surprise the person behind you by paying for their order. It’s a small act of kindness that can brighten someone’s day and inspire them to pass it on.
- Call a lonely relative. The holidays can be a difficult time for those who feel isolated or lonely. But a simple conversation can mean the world to someone who needs a little extra love during this season.
- Bring dinner to a family in need. Cook an extra meal together as a family. Then deliver it to new parents or a struggling family — it’s a wonderful way to show that you care.
- Play Secret Santa. Choose a friend, neighbor, or family in need and leave them a surprise gift anonymously. Playing Secret Santa is a wonderful way to spread joy (without expecting anything in return).
Twelve Days of Christmas Gifts for Kids
Just want to celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with gifts for the family? No problem! I’ve rounded up a list of ideas:
- Day 1: Box of pears
- Day 2: Dove chocolates
- Day 3: Book or movie trilogy
- Day 4: Bird feeder and birdseed
- Day 5: Ring Toss Game
- Day 6: The Serious Goose book
- Day 7: The Ugly Duckling book
- Day 8: Milk chocolate
- Day 9: Dance classes
- Day 10: Jump rope
- Day 11: Anything that’s “piping hot”
- Day 12: Toy drums
These are just a few of the ideas I’ve come up with – you can find more 12 Day of Christmas themed gift ideas for kids here.
Twelve Holiday Movie Nights
Holiday movie nights are a cozy way to spend time as a family while embracing the spirit of Christmas.
You can make each movie night extra special by creating a themed atmosphere. For example:
- The Polar Express: Serve hot chocolate and wear pajamas to recreate the feeling of the movie.
- Home Alone: Enjoy pizza and laugh together at the antics of Kevin McCallister.
- The Grinch: Have a “Who-ville” themed night with green treats like cupcakes or popcorn. Challenge everyone to wear their most colorful and festive outfits.
Consider building a diverse lineup of holiday films to keep things exciting. Mix in animated classics like A Charlie Brown Christmas with live-action films such as Elf or It’s a Wonderful Life.
Twelve Days of Christmas Books
One year, I bought 24 new books and wrapped each one individually. Then, over the 24 days before Christmas, my girls chose one book to open and read.
You could also apply this idea to the 12 Days of Christmas. And ours weren’t necessarily Christmas books, but you could choose all holiday themed stories if you’d like.
Do you already have plenty of Christmas books already? You could instead choose books from your current home library to read each night over the twelve days.
And if you do need new Christmas book recommendations, here are a few:
- The Snowman by Raymond Briggs – A wordless classic that tells the magical story of a boy whose snowman comes to life for an unforgettable winter adventure.
- Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer – Follow the ever-energetic Olivia as she joyfully prepares for Christmas, making this a delightful holiday read for little ones.
- The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert – A beautifully illustrated tale of a young girl’s journey to meet Santa, filled with adventure and the wonder of the season.
- Little Blue Truck’s Christmas by Alice Schertle – A festive, lift-the-flap story perfect for younger readers, where Little Blue Truck delivers Christmas trees to his animal friends.
- Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell – A heartwarming retelling of the nativity story, focusing on the animals in the stable on the first Christmas Eve.
Enjoy, and happy reading!
Final Thoughts
And that concludes this week’s blog post! Did it help spark some ideas? I’m curious, how will your family celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas this year?
To explore more of my Christmas related content, check out the links below.
More Christmas Content From The Writer Mom:
Baby’s First Christmas Traditions: 21 Fun Ideas to Try This Year
25 Magical Christmas Eve Traditions to Start This Year
70 Consumable Gift Ideas for Kids Who Have Too Much Stuff