Did you know the 12 Days of Christmas start on Christmas Eve/Christmas? Then go to January 5th, with the 6th being King's day? Do you know the meaning behind the 12 Days of Christmas song?
King's day can look different for everyone. Here's what it looks like for us:
Activities:
- Historically, it is believed that the kings were from Arabia, Africa, and the Orient. You can learn a little about these cultures at this time.
- Act out the journey of the kings to Bethlehem (dress up as royalty)
- Learn about and study the star patterns in January (Sky Deck is a great resource)
- Watch Dora Saves 3 Kings day
- Sing We 3 Kings, I saw 3 Ships, and other Christmas songs having to do with Kings/Wisemen. Learn to play some of the songs
- Complete giving/ serving activities as gifts for Jesus (then we put in a special stocking just for Jesus)
- On Kings day, take down all the Christmas decorations and put up winter decor
- Bible study: learn about how Jesus became incarnation to us, who the Kings represent (non-Jews and rich), Read Matthew 2 and talk about how Jesus was now a child, living in a house in Bethlehem, the dreams, the flight to Egypt, and Herod.
- Learn about spices and essential oils - specifically Frankincense and Myrrh
- Make crown crafts or use any Christmas cards with Kings on them to make a craft
- Write a song/poem/ story about the journey of the Kings
- Learn about desert life
- Sort of an Elf on the Shelf idea: find 3 (or more) figures to represent the Kings (we use lego people) and each night move them around as search for the new King Jesus. Often the kings are found around our house near bibles or story books, or other figures :) My daughter really enjoys this.
- On Kings day, put a few little gifts in the child's stocking. Have some family favorite foods.
- Make a 12 days of Christmas countdown to Kings day (more about that below)
Books to read:
- A Pinata In a Pine Tree
- Roc & Roe's 12 Days of Christmas
- A Stork in A Boabab Tree
- 12 Days of Christmas (Rachel Isadora)
- Federico and the Magi's Gift
- The Stone (A Persian Magi story)
- Istar's Odessey
- On Three Kings Day = El día de los tres Reyes Magos
- The story of the Three Wise Kings / retold & illustrated by Tomie dePaola.
- The 12 Days of Christmas: The Story Behind a Favorite Christmas Song
- The Christian Origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas: A Children's Activity Book
The Twelve days of Christmas
The 12 days of Christmas actually represent Christian truths. The song was written both to help young children memorize a lot of biblical truths, and also truths hidden in the songs for times of persecution - no one will have any idea what the song really means.
Day 1: Partridge in a Pear Tree represents Jesus
Read Philippians 2:3-11, Luke 2
Activity: put Jesus, cross ornaments on the tree, look at star charts
Day 2: Turtledoves represents Old Testament/ New Testament
Read Matthew 22:37-40 (OT), 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NT), Galatians 5:21-31
Activity: make a bible craft
Day 3: Hens represent Faith, Hope, Love
Read 1 Corinthians 13
Make heart crafts
Day 4: Calling birds represents the 4 Gospel
Read Acts 1:1-3
Activity: Sing the books of the Gospel, watch bible videos of the Gospel
Day 5: Golden Rings represents the Pentateuch
Read Deuteronomy 31:9, Matthew 5:17, Romans 4:15, 7:7, 7:12, Galatians 3:23
Activity: make a scroll
Day 6: Geese represents 6 Days of Creation
Read Genesis 1;1
Activity: make/create something out of clay or playdough
Day 7: Swans represents the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Read Genesis 4:7, 1 Corinthians 7:27-31a
Day 8: Maids A-milking represents the 8 Beatitudes
Read Matthew 5:3-12
Activity: make gift bags to giveaway to the homeless
Day 9: Ladies Dancing represents the 9 characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit
Read Galatians 5:22-24
Activity: make a fruit of the Spirit picture and fruit salad
Day10: Lords A-Leaping represents the 10 Commandments
Read Exodus 20:1-17
Activity: make tablets
Day 11: Pipers piping represents the 11 faithful disciples
Read Acts 1:13-26
Activity: talk about faithfulness, play a faithfulness version of Simon says
Day 12: 12 Points of the Apostles Creed
Read Acts 2
Activity; Listen to Petra's Creed, and Newsboys We Believe and talk about the points heard.
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