The 12 Ways of Christmas: A song of multiculti celebration

It’s beginning to look a lot like “Happy Holidays”, that hackneyed, watered down, yuletide greeting that accepts all religions and backgrounds without really advancing any of them. Far be it from me to make a disparaging remark about the convictions of political correctness, but sometimes I can’t help myself. Moreover, I can’t keep from espousing the 12 ways of Christmas, the multitude of international traditions surrounding the longest night of the year.

NOTE: The poem was written in 2019, first published in Dec. 2020, and refreshed in Dec. 2022 like a hot cup of tea.

From the Bronze Age nomads to the shepherds of Catalunya, the various modes of celebrating the Earth’s turning towards the light are luminous and multifarious. The following carol explores nearly a dozen of those rituals practiced around the world to honor and observe the season of light.

Our family is half German and half American, but we live in the north of Spain. So it’s always a challenge explaining the holidays to our kids and deciding which customs to embrace. If your favorite holiday happens to be Kwanza, or some other tradition that I overlooked in this poetic, poly-cultural spree, please don’t take offense. In the end, the True Believer knows that the spirit is universal and that the love is neverending.

The 12 Ways of Christmas

Winter is coming, the Solstice is near
The tiniest day in the calendar year
The sunlight grows dim on the Earth as she spins
And one year will end as another begins

The snow will come soon if it hasn’t already
So grab a good blanket and snuggle your Teddy
In Spain, California and Germany, too
The holiday season means presents for you
So sit yourself up and behave or you’ll miss it
When wise men and saints all drop in for a visit

The season is here, the most joyful of days
A time for enchantment and wonderful ways

Saint Nikolaus appears on the sixth of December
The shining of shoes every child must remember
We polish our boots and we set them outside
And by morning we look for some goodies inside

It’s Caga Tiò who shows up shortly after
From out of the forest he fills us with laughter
Arrives on the doorstep while leaving no tracks
So we keep him and feed him occasional snacks
Then warm up our sticks to prepare for the beating
And sing a sweet song till the log starts excreting

The season has come, the most magical days
See how we share them in so many ways

Take a look on the lawn where the Elf sometimes sits
There’ll be reindeer and snowmen if weather permits
Now come back inside where hot chocolate is brimming
It’s time to commence with the Christmas tree trimming
The evergreen tree it can serve to remind us
That after the winter the springtime will find us

Our pagan ancestors, their customs live on
Their Yule Log burning from dusk until dawn
A symbol of something that glows in the flame
A magical force we’re unable to name
So we keep our four candles and light one each week
It’s for peace, love and hope, and for joy that they speak

Celebrations occurring in so many ways
The season for keeping the fires ablaze

Christmas for some means the birth of the Lord
The savior who brings an eternal reward
Astrologers followed a star in the east
On a hunch that the hope for mankind had increased
With Jesus of Nazareth, born in the manger
His teachings advise us to love every stranger

The story of Christ you can take or refuse
For the season is sacred as well to the Jews
The Hanukkah candles that glow every night
To remember the Maccabee’s perilous flight
How their lamp oil lasted a mighty long time
For in hours of darkness, our spirits still shine

Celebrations to last just a couple more days
In the season of giving and singing and praise

And now comes the man with the beard and the hat
From the chimney, it’s Santa, so jolly and fat
Father Christmas they call him, with presents to share
Delivers them quickly then *POOF* in thin air
And finally in Spain they adore the Three Kings
Oh the magical season, such wonders it brings

So let’s pause for a moment and know we’ve been blessed
Give thanks for the toys and the treats and the rest
It’s time to be grateful for things big and small
And remember the ones who have nothing at all
And what keeps me warm for the whole winter through?
It’s the love that I feel when I’m thinking of you

So let’s nourish this feeling and hope that it stays
As we honor the season in so many ways

Further Reading

If you enjoyed this long-winded poem about the many ways Christmas and the Winter Solstice are celebrated throughout the world, please consider sharing the post or subscribing to the blog. You might also want to check out some of these popular articles and collections.

• THE PERFECT GIFT: Metaphysical Limerick anthologies from Amazon
• The Legend of Bell: A meta-myth of self discovery
• Sacred Limericks about World Religions
• 13 Educational Limericks
• The History of Limericks from Shakespeare to Spirit Rock