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Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas – One Day at a Time
The 12th Day of Christmas
The 12th Day of Christmas, also the last day of Christmas, is known as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. Traditionally, gift giving was centered around Epiphany but commercialization of Christmas and a cultural desire to shorten celebrations has changed this to center around Christmas Day. In many European and Slavic countries, children open their presents from ‘Santa Claus’ on Christmas Day, then families and friends open presents to each other on Three Kings’ Day. Three Kings’ Day, or the Epiphany, is a feast day observed by many Christians.
Below is a photo of an parade that takes place throughout Poland on Three Kings’ Day.
The Epiphany is often celebrated by the sharing of a King’s Cake, something also associated with Mardi Gras in the American south and in France. Baked into the cake was a coin, a bean, or a small toy and the person who found the trinket in their slice was named king for the day! Chew carefully!
A New Orleans’ style King Cake. Try the recipe here!
Elsewhere children are encouraged to place their shoes by the door and, if they are sleeping soundly through the night, the Three Wise Men might leave them three small gifts by the morning.
On the 12th Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…
12 Social Media Tips!
These days everyone is instantly reachable via the internet. This means, besides using Facebook or Instagram or Twitter to catch up on what your high school sweetheart is doing, social media has become a useful tool for anyone who has a product they want to market or a community they want to cultivate.
But where do I start? Not to worry! Check out our top tips for growing your audience and maintaining your community.
1. Make sure you & social media will be friends.
Not everyone needs to have social media. Not everyone is cut out for using social media as the tool it can be. Before you commit to making that profile, buying a website domain, or getting someone to help you make a trending TikTok, as yourself these questions.
Would spending time doing this bring me joy? Does it feel exciting to me?
Can I do this consistently or do I feel like I will burn myself out trying to keep up?
Are there examples of authors I respect and admire who use social media like this?
Is this something I think my readers would find inspiring, informative, entertaining, or valuable?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, then maybe social media is for you!
2. Pick the right platform for YOU!
Most social media platforms have a preferred content format. Twitter has a character limit, Instagram is designed for photos and short-form videos, Facebook has great group options as well as photo, video, and text options, and websites and blogs can be anything you can imagine these days.
Take a look at all your platform options and pick two you think you can manage. Don’t push yourself to make content that doesn’t feel like you.
Some of the most common combinations are: Blogging & Twitter, Facebook & Newsletters, Facebook & Instagram, or Instagram & Pinterest.
3. Post at the right frequency and time.
Each social media platform is going to have an optimal frequency and time to post to maximize traffic to your posts. When creating your social media, try and take these factors into account.
Post Daily: Instagram and Twitter
Post Weekly: Facebook and LinkedIn
Post Monthly: YouTube, Blog, and Newsletters
Post Seasonally: Pinterest
Now think about when you yourself spend time surfing the web or generally look at your devices. THOSE are the times you want your content to be findable by your audience.
A good rule of thumb is to maximize new content being available between 6am-7:30am, 1pm-3pm, and 5:30pm-8pm on weekdays, and between 9am-1pm and 5pm-8pm on weekends. Fridays are good for visual mediums such as Instagram and TikTok but bad for everything else.
4. Weigh your newsletter options.
Not all newsletter providers are created equal so be sure you find one that has all the features you desire. Some commonly used platforms are Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and Substack. All of these are free to start but require paid plans once you’ve reached a certain number of subscribers or sent a maximum number of email blasts.
If you don’t want to worry about managing an email list, having a blog that you can funnel interested parties to is another great way to build a faithful audience.
Now that we’ve covered the basics of starting your social media footprints off on the right foot, let’s look at some ways to give your content an extra kick!
5. Always use high quality images for your content!
It really does make a difference in how your audience will look at what you post. If you need to add some pzazz or polish some images there are plenty of free online options like Canva or Pixlr.
6. Don’t be afraid to recycle or double post content.
Not everything you put up everywhere needs to be unique. It’s perfectly acceptable to post the same thing on Facebook and your blog. Or even to repost a similar graphic several times if it’s applicable to everything.
7. Post things you are excited about! Share the new cover for you book, show off a new hobby you’ve picked up, or post a picture from the last time you met some fans.
Don’t worry about limiting yourself to writing related things! You want your fans to enjoy the entirety of you – odd interests, failed attempts, and cozy, lazy days included.
8. Push a preorder promotion.
Is your newest book coming out soon? Consider pushing a pre-order program or just a simple promotion of the work.
9. Invite your fans to events happening nearby! Maybe they’ll show up to say hello and the other writers and businesses will thank you.
Let’s face it, social media can be connective but it still pales in comparison with real human connection. Give folks the opportunity to run in to you at literary events or learn about writers you admire.
10. Show your workspace and favorite writing tools.
Everyone has their own “perfect” creative space. Show your audience what makes yours special!
11. Let fans know what you as an author like to read! There’s always new books to discover.
Top ten lists of your favorite reads of the year or books you wouldn’t be the same person without are a great way to offer some insight into your inspiration and growth as a writer.
12. Don’t just promote, participate.
Share other author’s work you enjoy. Comment on other related posts. Respond to your audience. Creating connection with your audience will provide longevity, community, and other avenues for people to hear about your work.
Here is a list of Chanticleer’s 12 Days Posts with Links
On the 1st Day, Chanticleer brought an invitation to join The Roost, Chanticleer’s Writers Community, with a special holiday offering!
On the 2nd Day, Chanticleer discusses two types of reviews needed by authors and publishers.
On the 3rd Day, Chanticleer honors Three Pillars of our Writing Community: Laurel Leigh and Joan Airoldi in memory, and honors Poet Laureate Rena Priest.
On the 4th Day, Chanticleer discusses ISBNs (and four calling birds).
On the 5th Day, Chanticleer shows off the CIBAs’ (Chanticleer Int’l Book Awards) coveted Blue Ribbons.
On the 6th Day, Chanticleer shares Six Rituals and Routines of Famous Authors.
On the 7th Day, Chanticleer brings the CIBAs Levels of Achievement for all works (manuscript and published) entered in this prestigious book awards program.
On the 8th Day, Chanticleer shares eight SEO Boosts and the AISEO boosting that accompanies each Chanticleer Review.
On the 9th Day, Chanticleer shares the Daily Routines of Nine Famous Authors.
On the 10th Day, Chanticleer shares Ten Publishing Trends for 2024.
On the 12th Day, Chanticleer shares 12 Social Media Tips and 12 Links to this series of blog posts.
We would like to invite you to join our curated online community The Roost!
We are so proud the community we have on The Roost! It is great perch to hang out on for writers and publishers to hang out in and connect.
We host weekly write-ins, discussions of writing craft books, and advice on the author’s journey. With authors in all stages of the writing process joining us, there is always something to learn on this independent PRIVATE social media site.
Writing may seem like a solitary activity, but stories are told in community.
Whether you find that on The Roost or elsewhere, we’re happy that you are a part of our community here at Chanticleer.
Limited Time Only! Join The Roost during the 12 Days at a discounted holiday price.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our Twelve Days of Christmas series of blogposts! While the Yuletide holidays might be over, we never stop celebrating the wonderful work you put out. We’re honored to be chosen by authors every day, without whom we couldn’t Discover Today’s Best Books! We’ll see you at the Chanticleer Authors Conference in April!
Wishing you a Happy New Year from Chanticleer from Kiffer, Sharon, David, Dena, Vilina, Scott, Anya, and Argus!
Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas with Chanticleer!
“But Jiminy Crickets, it is the 26th of December! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.
Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The four weeks leading up to Christmas is known as the Advent.
So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry—you’ve got an extra 12 days!
Some say the Twelve Days tradition is wishing good luck and cheer for each of the following months in the new year.
Others say the first six of the days are to pay homage to the previous year and six of the days that are in the new year bringing hope and glad tidings for coming times.
The Twelve Days of Christmas would be a welcome break for those who worked the land.
The twelve days of Christmas run from December 26th until January 6th (Three Kings Day).
If you are singing the song, and you miss or mess up a verse, you owe your opponent (the person singing the round before you a kiss or a sweet treat or grant a favor).
We at Chanticleer have our own way of celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas with our fellow Chanticleerians.
Get ready for 12 days of ideas for your new year of writing along with good cheer!
Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team!
On the First Day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
a partridge in a pear tree
What are the 12 Days of Christmas?
The 12 Days of Christmas historically mark the time from the birth of Christ until the day the Three Magi (or the Three Wise Men) arrived in Bethlehem with their gifts for the Epiphany, (also known as Three Kings’ Day). According to the Western calendar, the 12 days start with Christmas on December 26th and end with the Epiphany on January 6th. However, there are numerous other ways of celebrating from around the world.
But what do rings, geese, and drummers have to do with Christmas?
“The 12 Days of Christmas” song uses Christian lore as guidelines but is considered to be a secular song. Instead, the song is historically thought to be a cumulative group memory game as the verses build on each other and the catchy tune make it easy to join in. Imagine a family-friendly version of “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” and you’ve got the right idea.
The 12 Days of Christmas are traditionally associated with gifting and generosity starting with St. Stephen’s Day, or Boxing Day, where historically servants or help in households were gifted bonuses, trinkets, and modest feasts by their employers. Some people hold fast to the Twelve Nights celebrations gift something to friends and family each day of the holiday period rather than all on Christmas Day. This is where the pear tree comes in.
“The 12 Days of Christmas” harks the piles of gifts received from “a true love” daily during the long holiday. The lyrics and melody can differ with country and church but the well-known version of today is thought to be popularized in 1909 by English composer Frederic Austin.
On the 1st Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.
The meaning of the lyrics have long been debated with theories ranging from a betrothal tune illuminating courting gifts to being coded lessons on the tenants of Christianity.
The partridge represents the ultimate love, a true love. The pear tree is where the partridge perches to protect its loved one.
A modern examination however, has revealed the possibility that all the “gifts” are actually types of fowl commonly eaten and served during feasts in the High Middle Ages in Europe. Partridges, birds in the pigeon family like doves, and geese are more commonly known to be eaten both them and now but some of the other gift birds are harder to figure out.
More details about how the birds of the 12 Days of Christmas were possibly identified, cooked, and eaten can be found here.
On the 1st Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…
An invitation to join our curated online community The Roost!
We are so proud the community we have on The Roost! It is great perch to hang out on for writers and publishers to hang out in and connect.
We host weekly write-ins, discussions of writing craft books, and advice on the author’s journey. With authors in all stages of the writing process joining us, there is always something to learn on this independent PRIVATE social media site.
Writing may seem like a solitary activity, but stories are told in community. Whether you find that on The Roost or elsewhere, we’re happy that you are a part of our community here at Chanticleer.
Limited Time Only! Join The Roost during the 12 Days at a discounted holiday price.
Our favorite part about having the 12 Days of Christmas is that we can have the time we need to celebrate with our loved ones. We have time for wrapping our presents, meeting with friends for hot cocoa, and setting ourselves up for success with the Chanticleer Authors Conference.
Wishing you Happy Holidays from Team Chanticleer: Kiffer, Sharon, David, Dena, Vilina, Scott, Anya, and Argus!
