Celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas – One Day at a Time

On the 6th Day of Christmas, we wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

“But Jiminy Crickets, it’s after December 25th! Is it not too late for the 12 Days of Christmas?” you say.

Not to fear, Chanticleerians! The 12 Days of Christmas begins on December 26th! And it continues to the 6th of January – Three Kings Day. The four weeks leading up to Christmas is known as the Advent.

So if you haven’t finished wrapping presents, sending out those cards, and baking cookies—don’t worry—you’ve got an extra seven days!

Happy Holidays to You from the Chanticleer Team! 

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me

Six Geese a-laying

Five Golden Rings

Four Calling Birds

Three French Hens (Chanticleer’s favorite #justsaying)

Two Turtle Doves

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree 

The 6th Day of Christmas, December 31st, is New Years Eve! Despite not all cultures celebrating in accordance with the Georgian calendar, everyone culture has their own ways to mark the end of one year and arrival of the next. Here are some traditions from around the world!

United States

The Times Square ball drop is a nationally televised event that millions of Americans tune into on December 31st, with thousands more waiting on the freezing streets of New York City to watch in person. The inaugural drop was to mark the start of 1908 but the countdown until the midnight has become a wide-spread tradition enjoyed by folks of all ages.

Denmark

Danes take the expression “leaping into the new year” literally! It’s traditional to jump off a chair, couch, counter, or wherever you can find yourself several centimeters off the ground right as the clock strikes midnight. It is seen as a way to bring good luck into the new year.

Brazil

Since the new year arrives on the same day as the summer celebration of the sea god, these annual traditions overlap. Wearing white, meant to signify purity for the sea goddess Iemanjá, the culminating event of the night, everyone runs into the ocean fully dressed and jumps over seven waves. These jumps and waves are meant to hold wishes and hopes for the coming year. 

Ireland

The Irish have many traditions surrounding the new year, including banging the outside of their homes with bread to keep away bad luck and evil spirits. The most heartfelt of these is the setting of an extra place at the table for the evening meal, said to be for any loved ones who have been lost in the past year.

Philippines

While many cultures eat “lucky” foods, such as Hoppin’ John in the southern USA or 12 raisins in Spain, or twelve grapes in Italy, in the Philippines it’s considered lucky to eat numerous round fruits. And not only do they eat round things, they also dress in polka dots! The more round objects the better.

What are your favorite ways to mark the new year? Resolutions?
Thorough house cleaning? A polar plunge?

On the 6th Day of Christmas, Chanticleer brings to me…

Six newsletter tips!

Newsletters are a staple in an author’s marketing toolbox. But hitting the right mark with a newsletter that will attract readers can be elusive. For our Sixth Day of Christmas, we’re bringing you six tips to help you improve your newsletter to attract more readers.

1. Be unique. Create a newsletter that reflects your brand, or your book’s genre, to give your readers an idea of what to expect when they dive into your latest release. Think about color choices, subject matter, layout, and what extras you may want to put into it to keep readers coming back for more. I’ve seen newsletters that offer a recipe, discount offers, and some that even offer birthday wishes to their followers.

2. Write original email subject lines. You’ve got to catch their attention right away, so you better use your writing chops to throw out that hook! Create a phrase that relates to the content of your newsletter, and make it interesting. Think of it as a tagline—something that will excite them enough  to open it. This also goes for your preview text.

3. Consistency is king! Do your research to find the best time and day to schedule the release of your newsletter, but note, the best day/time you see today could change in the future so check back every few months to see if the statistics have changed. A simple Google search can help you with finding the most updated information.

4. Keep the topic focused. Your newsletter readers follow you for a reason. They know they can get the information they are looking for when they click to open the newsletter. It could be they are interested in your writing journey, tips, or you! Newsletters are a branding tool that need to reflect what you are creating. It also helps to create interest if you give a little insight into your own life, but just a taste. A photo collage of a place you visited that you reference in your book is a good example.

5. Repurposed content. We all need a few extra hours during the day, so don’t give yourself extra work. Find ways to repurpose the content you’ve already generated. I offer a bit of information, just a short blurb, with a link embedded in the text or through a clickable button that will take them to my website where I have a full article for them to read. This way I am seeing an advantage with my newsletter and my website at the same time!

6. Keep it timely. People are reading your newsletter because they think of you as an publishing insider. Stay up on the topics of the day and provide them with well-researched content, or an honest critique on the top issues of the day.

Stay tuned for the 7th Day of Christmas!

Our favorite part about having the 12 Days of Christmas is that we can have the time we need to celebrate with our loved ones. We have time for wrapping presents, meeting with friends for hot cocoa, and continuing to prepare the Chanticleer Authors Conference and the CIBA Banquet and Ceremony.

Wishing you Happy Holidays from Chanticleer from Kiffer, David, Dena, Scott, Anya, and Argus!