“The Twelve Days Of Christmas” made its debut in 1780, and in England. In the last 230 years, it has been known as an archaic song belted almost on repeat by carolers from the day after Thanksgiving until the wrapping paper trash pickup after Christmas morning.
In America, there are many avenues for archaic verse. Just ask the Catholic and Protestant church community. But this particular avenue is in desperate need of street repair.
For those of you that are not familiar with many of the United States’ goofy traditions, “The Twelve Days Of Christmas” is a song that comprises twelve cumulative verses in which each includes an additional gift that increases in quantity. And it’s even more boring than that description. See immediately below:
It's rough, god it's rough
Another goofy tradition in America is the maxing out of the credit card, and the reallocation of massive debt. When it comes to gift-giving, we’re always two steps ahead when we’re not being trampled in a Walmart on Black Friday.
As you can imagine, any English song from 1780 screams for reform. Hell, a song about gifts that would’ve been released in 2005 would be obsolete too given our demand for the latest in supply.
But not only are these gifts from the song outdated, they’re really damn weird too.
If you showed up to your girlfriend’s place with a “Partridge in a Pear Tree,” she’d offer you a “Restraining Order and a Straitjacket.” A result neither party wants to see play out.
It would be pretty cool to somehow coordinate “6 Geese-a-laying” on her parents front yard, but then she’d probably kick you to the curb and make you clean up all of that goose shit on your way.
For those reasons and more, a revision is needed.
And that’s why many revisions are attempted. But presently none are memorable.
So I’ve taken it upon myself as so many have before, and made an attempt to resuscitate a cumulative gift-giving guide that’ll hopefully stick. Maybe not for another 230 years, but at least until you get trampled in a Walmart next Black Friday.
If you could find either of these, it’d be impressive. Realistically, you won’t find either. But that’s okay, she doesn’t want a pheasant nesting in a tree that you can’t sustain in most climates. Instead, she’d be much more pleased with
A Day In A Spa
Yeah, it’s cliche... but so is getting someone a gift for Christmas. You want to help smooth over the stresses in her life -most of which might be attributable to you? - then put down that savings bond your arthritis-riddled Grandma gave you on your inaugural birthday, and buy her a day of wearing cucumber monocles and laying prone in a bath robe.
Doves are still possibly in, but producing a pair of trained doves for a Christmas present seems impossible to accomplish legally. In the case that you don’t have an Uncle that’s an obscure wildlife capture expert, go with this easy alternative:
2 Round Earrings
You’re a guy, so to her, if you can get something that resembles the popular geometry of a pair of earrings, she’ll file the sentiment under her “it’s the thought that counts,” folder. So remember to go for the round ones.
Forget the French Hens, we eat processed foods now. Instead, give her
3 Tickets To Drake
A lot of girls are drawn to the witty lyrical prowess and the insightful acronym machine that is the rapper Drake. She can take a couple girlfriends and they can YOLO over and over and over again.
She doesn’t need a quartet of song birds, she has an iPhone. Why not get her something that won’t tweet more than she does... like
4 Ounces Of Perfume
Make sure you know her preferred winter scent before you go on your search, and then get ready to hand over your wallet to Macy’s.
Most women (unless Gypsy) don’t have a 2:1 finger to golden ring ratio. This is yet another gift that is just as outdated as the eclectic collection of avians throughout this song. Instead, both spruce things up and play it safe with
5 Lotion Tubes
We love their soft skin, and so do they. And when you buy 5, the scent and consistency she wanted all along will probably be buried in one of those bottles.
Again, birds are soooo imperial England. And there’s no need for them when you can use electromagnetism. Instead, get a sixer of something else... Like this:
6 Wines For Dining
Find out-rather, observe- what she enjoys to eat when she goes out for lunch and dinner, and then find out what the phrase “pairing wine with food” means. You find the right wine to get this accomplished, and she’ll be thinking of you each and every time she pairs a Riesling with her apricot ravioli.
Enough with the oversized and ugly birds. She didn’t want the Partridge, and her dad is gonna perform an anesthetic-free vasectomy on you if you let a half-dozen Geese lay eggs in his yard. So why even consider digging a manmade lake for 7 Swans to go “a-swimming” in? In lieu of Swans, go with
7 Types Of Chocolate
Although they won’t readily admit it, chocolate is the sex currency of women. It’s one of the most satisfying things for them outside of getting to view a hunky Puerto Rican pool boy daily. It’s another gift that allows you to miss the mark on a few others, as long as a couple end up being right up her palatable alley. When you get the chocolates, you’re at least halfway to temporary relationship nirvana. And when she sees the chocolates, she’ll go on cocoa autopilot and know exactly what to do with them. Just remember to not make any stupid Forrest Gump jokes.
In fantasy, this might be pretty cool. In reality, you probably can’t render her an Amish village with the amount of time left before day 8 of Christmas. Drawing on reasonable expectations, give her a DIY project that you can muster with your manpower:
8 Sock Monkeys
Hopefully she’s a sock monkey girl, and hopefully she doesn’t think that 8 of something she likes is something really creepy. And hopefully she’ll also be in good spirits when she discovers she’s missing 4 pairs of socks.
Some girls are into this... but most aren’t. Instead, go with the ringer:
9 Pounds Of Puppy
Nothing makes a woman melt like the site and touch of a whimpering puppy. Get something hypo-allergenic and non-pitbull, and you’ll be her hero.
Cirque de Soleil and a few shows on Broadway are the closest available approximations. But there’s something much cheaper, and nearly equivalent:
10 Friends Seasons
Don’t be dumb like Joey or wimpy like Ross. Girlfriends from age 18-68 love the syndicated series “Friends.” It’s the female timeless equivalent to Seinfeld. And possibly catnip.
This is something that might get Youtubed and then uploaded to the Tosh.0 blog. But why invent a verb such as Youtubed? Go with this modern substitute:
11 Lulu Lemons
Yoga pants, running jackets, and space age sports bras. Lulu Lemon provides all of this, and provides it at a premium. You want things to work out? Then get her the things she wants to wear during her workout. And if you want to stick to the 12 days regimen, get 11 unique articles of Lulu Lemon clothing.
Andy Bernard did this on The Office.
But Andy Bernard also refers to himself in the testicular third person.
Here’s a much better choice:
12 Knives-a-Sharpened
Obviously this is not an ideal gift if you and your significant other are prone to heated domestic disputes. But if you’re not an inflammatory and violently dangerous couple, then you can’t go wrong with good cutlery. She’ll become so attached to this great set of knivery, that she’ll begin to refer to Cuisinart as “Cousin Art.” An intimate reminder of how bitchin’ of a boyfriend you’ve become.
