I like that the story is so on point. Jun 24, kimberly taylor rated it it was ok. Left us hanging This book is kind of like unfinished. Who was in the tree? What was taken in the robbery? Is the nanny fired? Dec 12, Patience Griffin rated it it was amazing. This was my first Susan Donovan book.

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Donovan nailed the nanny's voice. I was distraught because I couldn't put the book down. Time to read another Susan Donovan book! Jan 04, Danita Cahill rated it really liked it. Sweet A disenchanted English nanny and a hot cop makes for a fun, quick Christmas read. Sweet start to the 12 days of Christmas series. Dec 24, Angie rated it liked it. Like the storyline but hated how short it was. I've never read a short story and I don't think I will again. Wish there was more! Dec 24, MalRoseMallory rated it liked it Shelves: Super short, fun read.

But great for a Christmas Eve read. Now back to the festivities. Today, most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar and this is not a disagreement over the date of Christmas as such, but rather a preference of which calendar should be used to determine the day that is December Although it is not known why December 25 became a date of celebration, December 25 was the date the Romans marked as the winter solstice, the shortest, and therefore darkest day of the year.

Jesus was identified with the Sun based on an Old Testament verse, the date is exactly nine months following Annunciation, when the conception of Jesus is celebrated. Finally, the Romans had a series of pagan festivals near the end of the year, so Christmas may have been scheduled at this time to appropriate, or compete with, one or more of these festivals.

Nine Ladies Dancing: 12 Days of Christmas series

The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, the economic impact of Christmas has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world. Christmas is a form of Christs mass. The form Christenmas was also used, but is now considered archaic and dialectal, it derives from Middle English Cristenmasse. In addition to Christmas, the holiday has been known by other names throughout its history.

In the Gospel of Luke account, Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census and it says that angels proclaimed him a savior for all people, and shepherds came to adore him. In the Matthew account, magi follow a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts to Jesus, King Herod orders the massacre of all the boys less than two years old in Bethlehem, but the family flees to Egypt and later settles in Nazareth. The Nativity stories of Matthew and Luke are prominent in the gospels, the first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome in Christmas played a role in the Arian controversy of the fourth century, the feast regained prominence after , when Charlemagne was crowned emperor on Christmas Day.

Partridge — Partridges are medium-sized non-migratory gamebirds, with a wide native distribution throughout the Old World, including Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. They are sometimes grouped in the Perdicinae subfamily of the Phasianidae and these are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to the steppes of Europe, Asia, Africa. Nowadays they are found nesting on agricultural land. They nest on the ground and have a diet consisting of seeds, species such as the grey partridge and the red-legged partridge are popular as game birds, and are often reared in captivity and released for the purpose of hunting.

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For the same reason, they have been introduced into areas of North America. According to Greek legend, the first partridge appeared when Daedalus threw his nephew, Perdix, supposedly mindful of his fall, the bird does not build its nest in the trees, nor take lofty flights and avoids high places. The most famous reference to the partridge is in the Christmas carol, the first gift listed is a partridge in a pear tree, and these words end each verse.

Since partridges are unlikely to be seen in pear-trees it has suggested that the text in a pear tree is a corruption of the French une perdrix. The partridge has also used as a symbol that represents Kurdish nationalism. Sherko Kurmanj discusses the paradox of symbols in Iraq as an attempt to make a distinction between the Kurds and the Arabs.

He says that while Iraqis generally regards the palm tree, falcon, and sword as their symbols, the Kurds consider the Oak, Partridge. It is also the name of the fruit of the trees. Several species of pear are valued for their fruit, while others are cultivated as ornamental trees.

The pear is native to coastal and mildly temperate regions of the Old World, from western Europe and it is a medium-sized tree, reaching 10—17 metres tall, often with a tall, narrow crown, a few species are shrubby. The leaves are arranged, simple, 2—12 centimetres long, glossy green on some species, densely silvery-hairy in some others. The flowers are white, rarely tinted yellow or pink, 2—4 centimetres diameter, the fruit is composed of the receptacle or upper end of the flower-stalk greatly dilated.

Enclosed within its cellular flesh is the fruit, five cartilaginous carpels. From the upper rim of the receptacle are given off the five sepals, the five petals, pears and apples cannot always be distinguished by the form of the fruit, some pears look very much like some apples, e. One major difference is that the flesh of pear fruit contains stone cells, Pear cultivation in cool temperate climates extends to the remotest antiquity, and there is evidence of its use as a food since prehistoric times.

Many traces of it have been found in pile dwellings around Lake Zurich. The pear was also cultivated by the Romans, who ate the raw or cooked. A certain race of pears, with white down on the undersurface of their leaves, is supposed to have originated from P. Other small-fruited pears, distinguished by their early ripening and apple-like fruit, may be referred to as P. Other small-fruited species are used as rootstocks for the cultivated forms. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Older Musical settings of "Twelve Days of Christmas".

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. January Learn how and when to remove this template message. As with the Easter cycle, churches today celebrate the Christmas cycle in different ways. Practically all Protestants observe Christmas itself, with services on 25 December or the evening before.

But Do You Recall? Called Christmastide or Twelvetide, this twelve-day version began on December 25, Christmas Day, and lasted until the evening of January 5. During Twelvetide, other feast days are celebrated. Retrieved 5 December Davenport, George's Court, for C. A Partridge in a Pear Tree: A Comedy in One Act.

Archived from the original on 17 August Retrieved 16 December Annotations reprinted from Years of Christmas by Earl W. Retrieved 8 December The Twelve Days of Christmas. The Nursery Rhymes of England. For the date of , see this catalogue from the Bodleian Library p. Frederick Warne and Co. The Cliftonian December Jolly Games for Happy Homes. Lewis of Barnstaple, Mass. Lewis learned the song when a young girl from her grandmother, Mrs. Satchell, Peyton and Co. Dorset County Chronicle and Somersetshire Gazette: Melodies Once Popular in Yorkshire".

Leeds Mercury Weekly Supplement: Journal of American Folk-Lore. Folk Songs from Somerset Second Series. William and Robert Chambers. Popular Rhymes of Scotland third ed. Retrieved 15 March Retrieved 7 December Chants Populaires des Flamands de France. Retrieved 10 December There is absolutely no documentation or supporting evidence for [the claim that the song is a secret Catholic catechism] whatsoever, other than mere repetition of the claim itself.

The claim appears to date only to the s, marking it as likely an invention of modern day speculation rather than historical fact. Gilchrist and Lucy E. Sandys refers to it as a "convivial glee introduced a few years since, 'A Pie [i. The image of the bird in the pear tree also appears in lines from a children's counting rhyme an old Mother Goose. A pye sate on a pear tree, Heigh O! Once so merrily hopp'd she; Heigh O! Twice so merrily, etc. See Pape, Gordon, and Deborah Kerbel.

A Plume Book, October In any case, really evocative symbols do not allow of [sic] definitive explication, exhausting all possibilities. I can at most report what this song's symbols have suggested to me in the course of four decades, hoping thereby to start you on your own quest. Retrieved 2 November Despite Father Stockert's own acknowledgment of his mistake, years later Catholics in the United States in particular continue to spread this urban legend every Christmas season.

James 28 December Retrieved 23 December James Gilhooley, "Those Wily Jesuits: The Hymns and Carols Of Christmas. Retrieved 21 May Archived from the original on 16 December Retrieved 27 December Las Vegas Review-Journal , 5 April Retrieved 15 December BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Retrieved 26 January A Christmas Together Retrieved 24 January Archived from the original on 5 September Retrieved 25 December Retrieved 13 December The 12 Days of Redneck Christmas. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 December Retrieved 14 December Stephen's Day Sol Invictus Yule. Nicholas " Television specials Yule Log. Retrieved from " https: Seven Swans a' Shooting: Kindle Edition , 53 pages.


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To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Seven Swans a' Shooting , please sign up. Be the first to ask a question about Seven Swans a' Shooting. Lists with This Book. Dec 05, JoLene rated it really liked it Shelves: This is a short story that was published as a collection based on the 12 days of Christmas song. This has all the familiar faces, Sophie, her sister Leah, Marcus and most importantly Anatoly hot Russian boyfriend. Leah is trying to break into the engagement planning business, but things go awry as they always do and she and Sophie end of being suspected of murder This is a short story that was published as a collection based on the 12 days of Christmas song.

Leah is trying to break into the engagement planning business, but things go awry as they always do and she and Sophie end of being suspected of murder and stealing the engagement ring! This was a quick self-contained story. I'm not a fan of short stories, but since this had familiar faces and self-contained plot, I enjoyed it. Davis, the author, has seen some success in writing more steam "50 shades" stories, which aren't really my cup of tea, so I was happy to meet up with an "old friend".

This is a quick, fun holiday mystery. I characters are great and the story line well written. I have not read anything by this author prior to this short story and will be looking for more of her books to read. Mar 12, Jeanette montgomery rated it really liked it.


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First time reading this author and it is a quick easy read with a lovely story. I love all the characters. Oct 27, Lynn Smith rated it really liked it.