12 Days of Christmas

Now that Willy Wonka is over I can concentrate on preparations for Christmas! Shopping is done, presents are wrapped, and baking (my favorite part) has begun. The kids have no extracurricular activities for 2 weeks so we can enjoy some family time playing games and watching movies. We had a few school items to take care of early this week, but we are also done with that.

For a fun school project we made a lapbook to learn about the meaning behind the 12 Days of Christmas song. It is one of the songs that Michael is constantly singing, so he may as well learn something about it, right? Legend has it that it was written in England a few hundred years ago as a way to help young Catholics learn their catechism during a time when it was a crime to practice or teach Catholicism. Whether this legend is true, I don't know, but it can still be used to help learn our Catholic faith, especially for my child who learns anything better when music is involved. I also try to remind the kids that despite Christmas items appearing on store shelves in October, the Christmas season in the church starts on Christmas Day and ends 12 days later on the Epiphany.

Here are the meanings of the 12 days:

1-Christ who died on the cross for our sins

2-old and new testaments

3-three theological virtues - faith, hope, and charity

4-four gospels

5-the Pentateuch, or first 5 books of the old testament

6-six days of creation

7-seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

8-eight Beatitudes

9-nine fruits of the Spirit

10-the Ten Commandments

11-eleven faithful apostles

12-twelve points of the Apostle's Creed

I found instructions for this lapbook on www.homeschoolshare.com/Twelve_Days_of_Christmas.php .