I'm a girl who loves traditions and when I read about this tradition last year I filed it away praying I would remember it this Christmas. It sounded like so much fun and something we would absolutely have a ball doing. Thankfully I did remember it and this year we began the tradition of Ring and Run.
Ring and Run is based very loosely on the song The 12 Days of Christmas. Here's how it works. You choose a family to surprise and every day for the 12 days leading up to Christmas you leave a little treat on their doorstep along with part of a poem, ring their doorbell, and run away!
We chose a sweet family with 3 little girls and I cannot tell you how much fun we have had buying and delivering little treats for them! Although this tradition is supposed to be totally anonymous, we altered that rule just a bit and let the parents know what we were up to. Sneaking around in someone's front yard might tend to cause the police to get called and so we wanted them to know that we were not prowlers or burglars and filled them in on what we were doing. The girls still have no idea who we are- and we are definitely trying to keep it that way.
Below are the gifts we have given so far- along with the corresponding poem. I won't post the remaining gifts until after we have delivered them but if you would like a copy of the entire poem in Word- just email me (slmfar@msn.com) and I'll be happy to send it to you!
This glad Christmas season is so full of fun.
We’re happy to share with your family, then run.
How grateful we are that you’re playing our game.
You’ll now find that Christmas won’t be the same.
The song that we sing twelve days in a row
Won’t get tiresome with treats from friends you know.
But to keep up the mystery and the fun,
You won’t know who we are until we’re all done!
Each night we’ll bring something
Please don’t watch for us coming.
If you catch us too soon,
It will spoil the fun that’s coming!
Tonight calls for a partridge for your pear tree,
But partridges are tough catches, you see.
So, how about some canned pears, instead of a birds.
And a pair of Christmas books full of words.
(canned pears and 2 Christmas books)
Tonight we have turtles & doves coming your way.
Eat all the chocolate you may.
Because in your family you have quite a few,
We’ve left on your doorstep more than just two.
(Dove candy and turtle bathtub toys)
Hens are chickens
If they are French or not!
Here is chicken soup
To heat in a pot.
(little individual chicken noodle soup cans and chicken shaped crackers from Target)
Four calling birds, we can’t pay the fare,
For all we have is a purse full of air.
As Christmas approaches, and calls you must make,
Don’t use these gold coins or the phone you may break.
(gold covered chocolate coins)
On the fifth day of Christmas with things rather tight,
It’s important to us that we all travel light.
Gold rings are too heavy (and so are gold buckles),
So please be content with sweet rings on your knuckles.
(ring pops)
Six geese-a-laying– an interesting sight.
One of them squawked and they all took flight.
What they left in their nest, you’ll just have to look,
But with these you won’t want to cook.
(Silly Putty eggs)
The 7th day of Christmas and we are half way done,
Remember no peeking or you’ll spoil the fun.
On this day of Christmas, how nice it would be,
If seven swans a swimming your family could see.
The pond was quite empty since the swans have gone south,
We only found goldfish to put in your mouth.
(a big box of Christmas goldfish)
On the eighth day of Christmas, we’re busy as a bee.
Eight maids-a-milking, no where do we see.
But there in the barn we spy a tasty sweet,
Milk Maid caramels, what a treat.
(Milk Maid caramels)
Nine ladies dancing would be too big a crowd,
Besides their music is way too loud.
We have for you Christmas songs,
That you can listen to all season long.
(a kids Christmas CD)
