Prompt Cast
The Origins and Significance of the 12 Days of Christmas Song
TLDR The 12 Days of Christmas song has a rich history and is associated with the Christmas Tide, a 12-day feast that begins on Christmas Day. The song's lyrics have changed over time and the cost of purchasing the items in the song decreased in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The episode explores the origins and significance of the 12 Days of Christmas song.
01:10
The Santa Claus Association was created by Gluck and operated for 15 years as the only authorized group to receive Santa's mail, but eventually faced a downfall involving stolen art, phony Boy Scouts, a kidnapping, pursuit by the FBI, and a Coney Island bullfight.
02:11
Christmas Tide, a 12-day feast that begins on Christmas Day, follows the 40-day season of Advent and culminates in Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day.
03:07
Epiphany is not part of the 12 Days of Christmas, but rather a separate solemn holy day that extends the holiday season to 13 days, with the remaining days being filled with celebrations of various saints and holy days.
04:05
The Eulog was a log burned each night of the 12 Days of Christmas, with the ashes kept in the home for the next year, and the song itself dates back to 1780 in England.
05:07
The lyrics of the song have changed over time and there were regional variations in the gifts listed, and the challenge of the song was getting to the last line, which is still a challenge today.
06:02
The cost of purchasing all the items in the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" decreased by 58% in 2020 due to the pandemic, making it impossible to hire performers, but the price of some items, such as hens, geese, and swans, increased.
