Jason English
Lunchtime Quiz: The Twelve Days of Christmas
by Jason English - December 15, 2009 - 11:30 AM

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From Dave Seville & The Chipmunks to John Denver & The Muppets, there’s no shortage of artists who have recorded a version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” (Others include Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Kenny G, former American Idol contestant Paris Bennett, Bob & Doug McKenzie, and the Baby Einstein Music Box Orchestra.)

And if you’ve recently been in any setting where commerce is involved, you’ve probably heard the song 100 times this month already. Has a part of your brain been singing along? Can you name the twelve things the singer’s true love gave to him?

Take the Quiz: The Twelve Days of Christmas

[By the way, the twelve days of Christmas are the days between December 25 (Christmas) and January 6 (Epiphany). Also, Snopes has posted a thorough debunking of many myths associated with the song.]

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Comments (14)

  1. My proudest accomplishment today was being able to recall them all.

    I need to come up with better accomplishments for my day. :P

    posted by Krista on 12-15-2009 at 11:49 am

  2. Too easy, when you don’t have to include the number of each thing! (Although I still missed one!)

    posted by Jon. on 12-15-2009 at 12:32 pm

  3. Oh yeah- nailed that baby!

    posted by ann on 12-15-2009 at 1:17 pm

  4. Time: 03:29 left out of 5 minutes.
    I entered the numbers and the items.

    posted by KJ on 12-15-2009 at 1:18 pm

  5. Sad that I actually had to sing the whole song (out loud) to figure out numbers seven through twelve. I’m sure my coworkers enjoyed the entertainment, though.

    posted by Jenny on 12-15-2009 at 1:26 pm

  6. Yes! And thank you for not making us say how many of each. I can remember who’s doing what but not how many of them!
    Merry Christmas!

    posted by hyacinth on 12-15-2009 at 1:41 pm

  7. I wish I’d known I didn’t need to know how many where doing what. Oh well, still had a bit over 3 minutes left. Took a bit to remember 7 and 12.

    posted by k on 12-15-2009 at 2:37 pm

  8. kind of hard to get a partridge in a pair tree when you have to put “and” in front of it…..other than that i did okay

    posted by Crow88 on 12-15-2009 at 3:09 pm

  9. You don’t have to put “and a” in front of “partridge in a pear tree.” (But you can.) I wouldn’t do that to you!

    posted by Jason English on 12-15-2009 at 3:15 pm

  10. 3:55 to spare! Definitely my best showing yet in an “x in y” quiz.

    I was a little disappointed to see that Goofy’s “5 onion rings” are not permitted. I’m reasonably certain that the Disney sing-along was the only version of this song I heard until I was 12.

    posted by Adam on 12-15-2009 at 3:40 pm

  11. I nearly typed 5 roast beef sandwiches because of the old Arby’s commercials.

    posted by Brad on 12-15-2009 at 3:50 pm

  12. I don’t quite remember the correct order, but:

    An automatic vegetable slicer that works when you see it on television but not when you get it home, chromium combination manicure scissors and cigarette lighter, hammered aluminum nutcracker, indoor plastic birdbath, pair of teakwood shower clogs, pink satin pillow that says “San Diego” with fringe all around it, statue of a lady with a clock where her stomach ought to be, simulated alligator wallet, calendar book with the name of my insurance man, green polka-dot pajamas, and a Japanese transistor radio!

    posted by Rachel on 12-15-2009 at 4:21 pm

  13. 3:35 left. Entered them in order from 1 to 12.

    posted by Nerak on 12-15-2009 at 5:50 pm

  14. I tried typing “Four Colly Birds” and it did not accept. I think as the original lyrics this should be accepted as well as “calling” birds.

    posted by Michael on 12-15-2009 at 5:54 pm

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