Drumroll please:
Come they told me
Pa rum pum pum pum
New holiday stories to read
Pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest stories we write
Pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the judges
Pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum…
The 6th Annual Holiday Contest!!!!!
Thanks to Susanna Hill, we have the chance to enter a contest AND read all of the other entries posted at the link. Now that’s what I call a holiday treat!
The Contest: Write a children’s holiday story (children here defined as approximately age 12 and under) using the basic format/concept of The Twelve Days Of Christmas! Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate, but is not to exceed 300 words.
So many possibilities! So many winter holidays! How could I choose just one? So I didn’t! Thankfully, a daughter has studied world religions and worked at the Pluralism Project, whose mission is “to help Americans engage with the realities of religious diversity through research, outreach, and the active dissemination of resources.”
I then did some further research, including the pages of the United Religions Initiative for Kids. Please note that in a few cases, I’ve highlighted holidays that are celebrated at other times of the year, either to include a particular religion or to highlight a religion’s primary or better-known holiday. Without further ado, I present:
Twelve Days of Happy Holidays
On the first day of Christmas,
My Father shared with me:
A Savior’s bless’d nativity.
🌟
On the second day of Pancha Ganapati,
Lord Ganesha gave to me:
Two spicy Vadai,
And a Savior’s bless’d nativity.
🐘🐘
On the third day of Eid,
An Imam shared with me:
Three juicy dates,
Two spicy Vadai,
And a Savior’s bless’d nativity.
☪️☪️☪️
On the fourth day of Vesak,
A Buddhist monk revealed to me:
Four noble truths,
~~~
And a Savior’s bless’d nativity.
🎆🎆🎆🎆
On the fifth day of Soyaluna,
The People of the Pueblo showed to me:
Five Turquoise Rings;
~~~
And a Savior’s bless’d nativity.
🌄🌄🌄🌄🌄
On the sixth day of Diwali,
The Swami showed to me:
Six candles flickering,
Five Turquoise Rings;
~~~
And a Savior’s bless’d nativity.
🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯
On the seventh day of Kwanzaa,
My parents gave to me:
Seven heartfelt Zawadi,
~~~
And a Savior’s bless’d nativity.
🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁
On the eighth day of Hanukkah,
The Rabbi shared with me:
Eight oil lamps glowing,
~~~
And a Savior’s bless’d nativity.
🕎
On the ninth day of the lunar new year,
My Teacher read to me:
Nine Confucian texts,
~~~
And a Savior’s bless’d nativity.
📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖
On the tenth day of Maghi,
My Guru sang to me:
Ten sacred Kirtans,
~~~
And a Savior’s bless’d nativity.
🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
On the eleventh day of the Winter Solstice,
A Wiccan presented to me:
Eleven Yule logs blazing,
Ten sacred Kirtans,
Nine Confucian texts,
Eight oil lamps glowing,
Seven heartfelt Zawadi,
Six candles flickering,
Five Turquoise Rings;
Four noble truths,
Three juicy dates,
Two spicy Vadai,
And a Savior’s bless’d nativity.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
On the twelfth day of the bleak midwinter,
Our Creators asked of me:
Pray for peace and religious harmony.
☮️
🌟🐘☪️🎆🌄🕯🎁🕎📖🎶🔥
Learn more about the faiths represented and the holidays featured:
- Christianity & Christmas;
- Hinduism & Pancha Ganapati (the family festival of giving);
- Islam & Eid ul-Fitr (based on a lunar calendar, this holiday is often not in December);
- Buddhism & Vesak (celebrated in May or June);
- People of the Pueblos & Soyaluna (the Winter Solstice); please note that the rings mentioned are not part of the ceremony;
- Jainism & Diwali (also part of the Hindu tradition);
- Kwanzaa;
- Judaism & Hanukkah;
- Confucianism & Lunar New Year;
- Sikhism, Maghi & Kirtans;
- Wicca & the Winter Solstice or Yule.
.
