12 Days of Christmas

On our recent visit to Vancouver Island with Sam, one of our excursions was to Butchart Gardens. We have been there before in summer, when it was much more colourful (see here). At this time of the year there weren't many flowers and the main attraction appears to be the Christmas lights at night. We visited on our way to the ferry to go home, so we were a bit early for the lights, but we did have fun spotting the displays for the "12 Days of Christmas." See if you're not singing along by the time you get to the end of the gardens!

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

...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

Look out for the rogue 11th lord in the video here (click on slideshow)!

...eleven pipers piping

...twelve drummers drumming.

Did you know that this song originated as a catechism (an easily remembered statement of faith) during the Reformation? Read more about what each gift symbolised here.