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January 2024 January 2024

BERE REGIS WILDLIFE AND
ENVIRONMENT GROUP

A very HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. Now is the time to
make a resolution to get out and enjoy the wonderful
natural world in our local area.

The Twelve Days of Christmas
In most traditions, the twelve days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day and run
from December 25th to January 5th. Some traditions, however, hold that the first
day of Christmas is the day after Christmas Day, December 26th and the 12 days
run through to January 6th.
Whichever view you hold to we are now nearing the end of that period As you
know, The Twelve Days of Christmas is an old English Carol featuring mainly
animals. A partridge is an English or grey partridge. Turtle doves are now
extremely rare in the UK. French hens are thought to be Breton hens. Calling birds
(or ‘colly’ in early versions) meant blackbirds. Gold rings were thought to
represent ringed pheasants, or ‘gold spinks’, an old name for goldfinches. Geese,
a farmyard variety originating from the wild greylag geese. Swans a-swimming
were probably the mute swans we are all familiar with. Lords a-leaping in some
versions were hares running, typical hare behaviour in the breeding season. The
carol was written in the 18 century when the population was predominately rural
th
and more familiar with country living than is the case now.

The Days are Getting Longer
Ok, maybe not by much – but have faith, they are! You may have already
noticed bulbs peeping through in gardens, and the Christmas Rose or Hellebores
are starting to come into flower. A number one welcome sign of spring for many is

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