The “Tweleve Days of Christmas”

appeared in print for the first time in 1780, in the children’s book, Mirth Without Mischief.  At the time, it was named "The Twelve Days of Christmas Sung at King Pepin's Ball" and wasn’t married to the familiar tune we now know.  Over the next 200 years the song has been published over 20 times – evolving along the way.  Some lesser-known gifts in forgotten versions are: 10 Ships a-Sailing, 8 Hare’s a-Running, 12 Bells a-Ringing. 

This year, Cornwall artists have created an outdoor gallery celebrating the iconic song and the holiday season in the Litchfield Hills. As you will see on your visit, our artists use the historic rhyme as a launchpad for their own flights of fancy.