1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to mark the twelve days of Christmas 4 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: to extend the holiday joy. Why celebrate Christmas for just 5 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: one day when you can enjoy it for twelve. Extending 6 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: the fun into January can also brighten what is often 7 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: a bleak season. Contrary to what marketers may say, the 8 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: season of Christmas on the church calendar begins on December, 9 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: when Jesus's birth is celebrated, and extends all the way 10 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: through January, right up until Epiphany or three King's Day 11 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: on January six, That's the day when the traditional church 12 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: calendar celebrates the visit of the Magi too, Baby Jesus. Now. 13 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 1: I know that Christmas is a fairly secular holiday for 14 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: many people, but even so I like the idea of 15 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: redistributing some of the festivities from before Christmas to the 16 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: twelve days after Christmas. You can avoid some of the 17 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: let down feeling, you can entertain kids who might be 18 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: out of school, and you can add some brightness two 19 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: dark midwinter days. One option is to do little gifts 20 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: after Christmas. You probably know the song cataloging all the 21 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: gifts that someone's true love gave to them during the 22 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: twelve days of Christmas. A partridge in a pear tree, 23 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: two turtle doves, three French hens for calling birds, and 24 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: so on. Now, to be sure, twelve drummers drumming would 25 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: not be welcome in a house with five kids of playing, 26 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: one dog of barking. But if you have extended family 27 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: members who are not present on Christmas itself, maybe you 28 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: can open presents from them on a different day after. 29 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: If folks got gift cards or you have money from returns, 30 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: a shopping trip would add some gifts to another day, 31 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: and maybe you can hold back a small New Year's 32 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: or Epiphany gift from what people would otherwise have opened 33 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: on Christmas Day itself. It just stretches out the fun 34 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: and makes each gift more noticeable if it is not 35 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 1: part of the giant pile. I would particularly suggest things 36 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: like art supplies or books for kids that will inject 37 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 1: some new interest into this time that they are probably 38 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: off school. You might stretch out your family visits too. 39 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: In an earlier episode, we talked about the wisdom of 40 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: creating an extended family it together that is not on 41 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: Christmas itself. That way, you don't create tension within laws 42 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: or folks who need to work on the holiday. Holding 43 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: this get together after Christmas stretches out the holiday and 44 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: gives you some more shopping or preparation time. You could 45 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: host smaller get togethers with friends. Folks who aren't traveling 46 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 1: are probably getting some cabin fever by late December. Have 47 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: a casual pot luck, and it's all the fun of 48 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: Christmas with a little less of the stress. If there 49 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: are holiday shows or light displays you'd like to see, 50 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: you might consciously move some of these to the twelve 51 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: days after Christmas. I know in my town a lot 52 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: of the light displays stay up until at least the 53 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: first full weekend in January, which is the seventh and 54 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: eighth this year. May be your local performance of the 55 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: Nutcracker runs until the end of December. Rather than try 56 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: to crowd these activities into a pre Christmas weekend, push 57 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: them forward. I think it can particularly feel special to 58 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: mark the twelve days of Christmas when you are back 59 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: to school or work by early January. A small get 60 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 1: together with friends in the evening of January three will 61 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:27,280 Speaker 1: be magical and give you something to look forward to 62 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: as you are commuting on what can be a cold, 63 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 1: dark day. A little gift exchange planned for the night 64 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 1: of January four makes you feel festive even as you're 65 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: running two kid pick ups and staff meetings. I am 66 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 1: looking forward to a twelfth Night party on January six, 67 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: which will be a great way to welcome the new year. 68 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: In any case, even though the Twelve Days of Christmas 69 00:04:55,160 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: happened after Christmas, I am airing this episode now for 70 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: Christmas to give you some time to think about the idea. 71 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 1: If there are things you want to do for the 72 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: holidays but you can't seem to find room for them before, 73 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 1: see if you can do them after. And if you 74 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 1: often feel that common sense of a letdown after Christmas, 75 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: or if you know that your kids, despite being surrounded 76 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: by a dozen new toys, will complain of being bored, 77 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: then thinking through this post Christmas time can help stave 78 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: that off. You push the holiday festivities ways into January, 79 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: and then you are that much closer to spring. It 80 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: really is all a mental game sometimes in the meantime. 81 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 82 00:05:51,040 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 83 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 84 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 85 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b E the 86 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also 87 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia 88 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all 89 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying 90 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. 91 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i 92 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 93 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.