Now that the season of Advent — officially the four weeks before Christmas day — has come to a close for another year, the Twelve Days of Christmas begin. All of the busy moms and dads out there who have been rushing around to the point of near exhaustion to make Christmas for their families are saying, “What — Christmas is just beginning?” Not to worry. Relax, get out the eggnog, and put on some music while the kids play with the toys Santa brought. Your job is done for another year.

In Christian theology, the12 days of Christmas mark the period of time between the birth of Christ and the coming of the three wise men, the Magi. It begins Dec. 25 with the liturgical feast of the Nativity of the Lord and continues through Jan. 6, the Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day.

This 12-day period is celebrated in a variety of ways — both religious and secular — throughout the world. More notable feast days within the Catholic tradition include St. Stephen’s Day on Dec. 26, the Feast of St. John on Dec. 27, the Feast of the Holy Innocents on Dec. 28, the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on Dec. 30, the Feast of Pope St. Sylvester I on Dec. 31, and the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on Jan. 1. In the United States, the Solemnity of Epiphany is transferred to the first Sunday after Jan. 1.

In most households, folks return to life as they knew it before the holiday season began. Christmas decorations get packed up for another year, holiday vacations end, we read holiday cards and letters one more time before we toss them, and we vow to lose the extra pounds packed on over the holidays. And we return to the usual work and school schedules as we look ahead to the new year.

This year, as I prepared for the holidays, the tune “The Twelve Days of Christmas” kept going through my mind. I was curious to find the origins of that carol and found a good article written by Tanya Pai with the following information. The earliest known version of the words is attributed to a children’s book written in 1780 entitled, “Mirth Without Mischief.” While some historians think it could be French in origin, most agree it was designed as a type of memory game. Each child not only had to recite the next, new verse but needed to remember, and repeat, each and every verse already recited — correctly and in order.

If they made a mistake along the way, they were expected to give a kiss or perform a favor of some sort. As an interesting side note, in 2014, a first edition of that book sold at Sotheby’s auction for an astounding $23,750 — now that is a Christmas gift to sing about!

As is so often the case with oral traditions, there have been many variations of the wording since the verse was initiated. Some versions mention “bears a-baiting” (most appropriate for our neck of the woods) or “ships a-sailing.” And some name the singer’s mother as the gift giver instead of their true love.

Very early versions name four “colly” birds, an archaic term meaning black as coal — so, in other words, black birds … but not to be confused with the four and 20 that were baked into that infamous pie! And some historians even suggest that the “five golden rings” refer to the markings of a ring-necked pheasant which would certainly fit in well with the song’s other bird references.

The version we are most familiar with today is attributed to an English composer named Frederic Austin. In 1909, he devised the melody we all know so well and established the lyrics to be “calling” birds and “go-old” rings. To refresh our collective memories, the lyrics to this popular song include the following gifts, in the order in which they were given: 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, 10 lords a-leaping, 11 pipers piping and 12 drummers drumming. And you thought your Christmas morning was noisy!

And, of course, we Americans had to assign a cost to this most unusual list of Christmas gifts. The calculation has been undertaken since 1984 in the form of an annual Christmas Price Index. The cost for 2020 has not yet been calculated, but at 2019’s rates, the fulfillment of this wish list would have set you back $170,298.03. Swans are not cheap, after all!

So, what can we make of all this? Aside from the facts that the price of this list goes up every year, receiving most of these gifts in the short span of 12 days would certainly cause a commotion, and caring for all of that wildlife would take up a lot of time in the coming year, can we take this a step further?

If we spent a bit of time thinking about a gift list, what 12 items would be on our lists for the coming year? What new gift would make a difference in our lives or which things would we want to continue to receive each day? What makes us happy? Such a list would prove beneficial in not only clarifying our values and priorities but would also serve as a goal setting exercise … maybe even suggest a few New Year’s resolutions. After all, that holiday is right around the corner.

So, for myself, I did just that. Here is what I came up with.

Day 1: My husband by my side;

Day 2: Two monthly paychecks;

Day 3: Three daily meals;

Day 4: Four close friends;

Day 5: Five reminders to be patient;

Day 6: Six good books;

Day 7: Seven expressions of gratitude;

Day 8: Eight hours of sound sleep;

Day 9: Nine healthy family member;

Day 10: Ten lost pounds;

Day 11: Eleven blessings counted;

Day 12: Twelve reasons to laugh each day.

Go ahead and give it a try. I would be willing to bet that most of us, at this stage of our lives, are fairly content. If not, this simple exercise may help you realize what may be missing … and help you find it in the coming year.

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NURSING HOMES

The usual senior living activity calendars and senior center menus are not being published to avoid confusion. Due to the coronavirus and the vulnerability of the elderly population, daily life in the senior living facilities and senior centers has changed dramatically.

All living facilities have closed their doors to public visitation, and the activity calendars have been modified to allow for one-to-one room visits only and individualized activities to keep residents engaged and active as much as possible while remaining within the health and safety guidelines provided by state health experts.

Group games are being substituted with individualized activities that residents can do in their respective rooms. Staff are providing supplies as well as “overhead announcement bingo and trivia” games and “hallway games” that can be played in individual rooms or by sitting within individual room doorways.

YouTube and DVDs are being utilized to provide religious services. A big dose of gratitude and appreciation goes out to all senior care staff for their creativity, caring and perseverance through a difficult situation.

All senior centers also have been closed to any center-based activity. Until they reopen, no information is being published that talks about activities typically available at these centers. While some have reopened with limited seating, meals do continue to be delivered.

Some centers also are preparing meals to be picked up. Menus are printed below for those centers that are either preparing takeout or providing home-delivered meals. Questions can be directed to the individual centers at the numbers listed here.

SENIOR CENTERS

Alpha-Mastodon Center

906-875-3315

Amasa Center

906-822-7284

The Amasa Center is a curbside pick-up-only kitchen for now. Call ahead for Tuesdays through Thursdays. Menu for the week —

Tuesday: Spaghetti, green beans, salad, garlic bread

Wednesday: Meatloaf, baked potato, peas, beet salad

Thursday: Beef stew, bean salad, dinner roll

Note: All meals served with milk, bread and butter, fruit and dessert

Breen Center

906-774-5110

Now open with limited seating from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Menu for the week —

Monday: Bratwurst, potato wedges, baked beans

Tuesday: Scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, pancakes

Wednesday: Baked salmon, fried potatoes, creamed peas

Thursday: Baked fish or sausage, fried potatoes, cauliflower

Note: All meals served with a choice of skim milk or juice and fruit

Crystal Falls Center

Head cook: Lucy Korhonen

906-875-6709

Crystal Lake Center

Iron Mountain

906-239-0278

Home-delivered meals only. Menu for the week —

Monday: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, corn

Tuesday: Taco salad, sour cream, salsa, chips

Wednesday: Beef stew, biscuit, side salad, dressing pack

Thursday: Scalloped potatoes and ham, green beans, dinner roll

Friday: Chicken sandwich, chips, baked beans (delivered earlier in the week)

Note: All meals served with a choice of skim milk, juice or no beverage

For more information, call Christine McMahon at 906-774-2256

Felch Center

906-246-3559

Now open with limited seating from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Menu for the week —

Monday: Turkey/Swiss cheese sub sandwich, salad, potatoes

Tuesday: Fish or Salisbury steak, baked potato, green beans

Wednesday: Yorkshire beef, broccoli, mashed potatoes and gravy

Note: All meals served with skim milk or juice

Aging and Disability Resource Center of Florence County, Wis.

715-528-4890

Director: Tiffany White

Home-delivered meals only. Menu for the week –Fence Center/Town Hall

715-336-2980

For meal reservations, call 855-528-2372

Same as ADRC menu, home-delivered only.

Florence Community Center/Town Hall

For meal reservations, call 715-528-4261

Same as ADRC menu, home-delivered only.

Tipler Town Hall

For meal reservations, call 715-674-2320

Same as ADRC menu, home-delivered only.

Hillcrest Senior Dining Center, Aurora

For meal reservations, call 715-589-4491

Same as ADRC menu, home-delivered only.

Hermansville Center

Coordinator: Pam Haluska

906-498-7735

Iron River Center

906-265-6134

Home-delivered meals only. Menu for the week –

Monday: Baked chicken, browned potatoes, mixed vegetables, dinner roll

Tuesday: Tuna casserole, peas, dinner roll

Wednesday: Cheeseburger, potato wedges, mixed vegetables

Thursday: Spaghetti and meatballs, winter blend vegetables, garlic bread

Norway Center

Director: Susie Slining

906-563-8716

The center will remain closed; however, takeout meals will be prepared for pick-up — those picking up must call ahead and wear a mask. Menu for the week —

Monday: Salisbury steak with mushrooms, mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed vegetables fruit, juice, dessert

Tuesday: Baked cod, sour cream and chive potato wedges, coleslaw, fruit, juice, dessert

Wednesday: Roast beef over bread with gravy, red potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli, fruit, juice, dessert

Thursday: Closed for New Year’s holiday – wishing everyone a great 2021!

Sagola Center

906-542-3273

Now open with limited seating from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Menu for the week —

Tuesday: Cheese ravioli, mixed vegetables, salad, breadstick

Wednesday: Turkey, mashed potatoes, squash, salad

Thursday: Philly steak and cheese sandwich, potato chips, three bean salad

All meals served with fruit and choice of skim milk or juice.