Hello, dear readers!

While drafting my newest Christmas story, I accidentally tumbled head-first into one of the most delightful research rabbit holes I’ve ever encountered. All I wanted was a little inspiration for Mr. Darcy’s romantic gift-giving… and suddenly I found myself deep in the history of The Twelve Days of Christmas. To my utter surprise, the song is far older—and far stranger—than I ever imagined.

Most of us grew up singing about partridges, turtle doves,...