GATLINBURG: The 12 Days of Christmas

My child loves the 12 Days of Christmas. He loves the song he was taught in preschool almost as much as the rock version on his iPod.  Depending upon the version you sing, we’ve calculated the number of birds (23) & people (50) there would be if your true love was such a generous gift giver.  Did you know those 50 people include 23 musicians?

Each year, my family piles in the car and drives to Sevierville–less than 12 miles from downtown Gatlinburg.  We then make a big U-turn and drive the Parkway through Pigeon Forge toward Gatlinburg to pass the 12 Days of Christmas light displays.  The 12 Drummers Drumming marks the end of Pigeon Forge and the beginning of the Spur through the National Park into Gatlinburg.  We do all of this while singing at the top of our lungs…in time with the displays.

Of course, the light displays were certainly not installed with our family tradition in mind, and traffic lights don’t always cooperate.  So, we find ourselves singing as slow as molasses-uphill-in-the-winter between some displays and tongue-twister fast between others to keep up.  It ends in uncontrollable hot-chocolate-spewing laughter.

So that we could share our family fun with you this year, we stopped and photographed each display (Four Calling Birds is our favorite).  Instead of just singing it once like we normally do…We sang the song in the car, parking the car, at the displays and driving to the next displays.  Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

On the First Day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me…

A Partridge

in a Pear Tree.

On the Second Day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me…

Two Turtle Doves & a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

On the Third Day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me…

Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves & a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas,

My true love gave to Me…

Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves…

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

 

On the Fifth Day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me…

Five Golden Rings,

Four Calling Birds,

Three French Hens,

Two Turtle Doves,

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

On the Sixth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me…

Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves

…and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

On the Seventh day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me…

Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings,

Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves

…and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

On the Eighth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me…

Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying,

Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens,

Two Turtle Doves

…and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

On the Ninth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me…

Nine Ladies Dancing, Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a Swimming,

Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds,

Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves

…and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

On the Tenth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me…

Ten Lords a Leaping, Nine Ladies Dancing, Eight Maids a Milking,

Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings,

Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves

…and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

On the Eleventh day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me…

Eleven Pipers Piping, Ten Lords a Leaping, Nine Ladies Dancing,

Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying,

Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens,

Two Turtle Doves…and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

On the Eleventh day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me…

Twelve Drummers Drumming, Eleven Pipers Piping, Ten Lords a Leaping,

Nine Ladies Dancing, Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a Swimming,

Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds,

Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves

…and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

This blog is sponsored in part by ERA In The Smokies Realty and Rentals located at 207 Parkway in Gatlinburg, TN. For more information on a Gatlinburg Cabin for your Smoky Mountain Vacation or all the reasons to move to the Smokies, call 1-800-309-0277. ERA In The Smokies is a leader in chalet and Log Cabin Rentals and Real Estate Sales in the Gatlinburg area.