120 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

For each day in 120 Days of Christmas, we’ve provided a few suggestions for how to celebrate. Take Feast of Fools (January 4). It was, historically, a real celebration in which traditional power structures were turned upside down for the amusement of all. In our version, children are appointed “Lords of Misrule” and allowed to dictate the family dinner. But you should celebrate however you like! Consider this your official invitation to play, to make the season entirely your own. The brief excerpts below will give you a sense of what’s ahead. You can also download a PDF of the complete Orchard Hailing Day entry here.

DAY 7

ORCHARD HAILING DAY

Orchard Hailing Day invites us to step outside, raise a mug, and toast the natural world for its unruly generosity. Rooted in centuries-old wassailing rites and pagan harvest revels, this holiday turns gratitude into a merry ramble through orchards, gardens, or whatever patch of earth you can claim. Participants wander frosty paths, saluting trees and shrubs alike, thanking them for the year’s yield. Whether hailing a real apple tree or a defiant basil sprig clinging to life on your balcony, you’re reconnecting with the land and celebrating the fragile truce between people and nature. You’ll feel absurd calling out blessings to a hedge at first, but the mulled cider will loosen your tongue. Designate an Orchard Hailing Day driver before you get too grateful.

Like Bonfire Night (November 5), Orchard Hailing Day doesn’t require much justification. Getting a little drunk and shouting compliments at trees is obviously good fun. The fact that it also has deep historical roots just means you should yell louder and pour the mulled wine with conviction.

The tradition of wassailing comes from the cider-soaked heart of rural England, where, in the dead of winter, communities would gather in orchards to sing to the trees, splash cider on their roots, and scare off evil spirits with noise and goodwill. It was part agricultural charm, part pagan ritual, part excuse to get raucous in the dark. As Christianity crept in, the rite evolved into a festive hybrid of superstition and boozy choir practice. Revelers crowned a Wassail King, passed around steaming bowls of mulled cider, and belted out songs with the explicit goal of bullying the trees into fruitfulness. The word wassail itself comes from the Old Norse ves heill, meaning “be well,” an ancient toast that still echoes in modern cups.

Though wassailing is the main ancestor of Orchard Hailing Day, it echoes harvest and midwinter festivals around the world. Pagan rites like Samhain, often celebrated with food, fire, and shouting into the void, similarly marked the end of the harvest before winter shut everything down.

ORCHARD HAILING DAY ACTIVITIES

DAY 16

ARRIVAL OF SINTERKLAAS

Of all the early celebrations in the Christmas orbit, the arrival of Sinterklaas may be the most bewildering to the American holiday calendar. It’s November 16. Thanksgiving is still days away. And yet, here you are, waking up at 6:00 AM (or 3:00 AM, if you live on the West Coast) to watch a Dutch bishop arrive by steamboat, disembark in a medieval harbor town, and parade through the streets on a white horse while children scream with joy. Your humbug friends will protest. Let them. This is your reward for embracing seasonal joy early.

Sinterklaas is rooted in centuries of tradition. His story begins with Saint Nicholas of Myra, a 4th-century bishop known for secret gifts, child-saving miracles, and an all-around commitment to benevolent meddling. Dutch tradition imagined him as a regal figure in red robes, accompanied by his white horse and a rotating entourage of helpers. His annual arrival by steamboat from Spain (a nod to old trade routes) symbolizes not just gifts, but the return of something magical.

THE SINTERKLAAS SONGLIST

Each November, the Dutch public broadcaster airs the official arrival of Sinterklaas, a national event featuring a steamboat docking ceremony, marching bands, and local children singing in coordinated scarves. Towns rotate hosting duties each year, and the production includes live interviews with actors playing helpers, concerned mayors, and nervous weather officials. Watching it live feels less like a Christmas special and more like catching a late-night broadcast of Star Trek when you’re 12 and can’t sleep. The lighting is weird. The pacing is off. Everyone’s speaking in a clearly made-up language. A bishop on a boat is waving solemnly while children chant in unison. What planet is this? You’re too groggy to ask why any of this is happening, and too delighted to care.

DAY 21

PEACEABLE KINGDOM

Peaceable Kingdom invites us to prepare our hearts and minds for the chaos of Thanksgiving by proactively extending grace and understanding to our most, shall we say, colorful relatives. Instead of quietly tolerating conspiracy theories or wild claims about UFOs over cranberry sauce, this day encourages us to call or visit those family members in advance, seeking out common ground and rediscovering what makes them lovable. By forging a connection now—before the stress of the big day—you’ll bring a little more harmony to your holiday table. And hey, if you can survive a discussion about chemtrails with Uncle Gary, the turkey and pie will taste all the sweeter.

PEACEABLE KINGDOM ADORNMENTS

DAY 35

KRAMPUSNACHT

Krampusnacht brings a playful chill to the holiday season, celebrating the mischievous companions of Santa Claus whose role is to enforce justice and discipline. While Santa delivers gifts to the good, Christmas tricksters like Krampus, Belsnickel, and Knecht Ruprecht bring warnings—and sometimes punishments—to the naughty. These figures, often mock-sinister, provide a perfect counterbalance to Santa’s sticky-sweet benevolence. Today is an opportunity to embrace their spirit with harmless pranks, measured mischief, and perhaps a friendly reminder to loved ones to stay on their best behavior. From the menacing masks of Krampus processions to the quirky gifts of Befana, this day is a tongue-in-cheek ode to the shadowy figures of the Christmas pantheon.

When Clement Clarke Moore and the Knickerbocker crowd domesticated Christmas in the 19th century, they did us all a favor: they gave us stockings, sugar plums, and a version of Santa so gentle he could safely visit a nursery. But in doing so, they also banished an entire dimension of terrifying winter monsters. Gone were the beasts, the witches, the moral enforcers with sacks and sticks. What a loss!

To their eternal credit, Moore and friends made the holiday cozier and child-centric. But we think Christmas has room for domestic pleasures and well-played frights. Not on Christmas morning, of course. That day is sacrosanct. But with the big day still weeks off, there’s time enough to welcome back a few ancient, coal-carrying friends.

Let’s start with Krampus, a horned, chain-rattling enforcer from Alpine folklore. He drags around birch rods and issues warnings, or worse, to misbehaving children. But he’s far from alone. Knecht Ruprecht quizzed children on their prayers and carried a sack for the disappointing ones. Belsnickel, a ragged, fur-covered figure from the Rhineland, rewarded good kids with nuts and scolded the naughty with sticks and side-eye. And Italy’s Befana, the Epiphany witch, is always ready to pivot from generous to chaotic, depending on mood.

These figures remind us that Christmas, once upon a time, had teeth. And reintroducing a bit of that mischief helps keep the season from tipping too far into syrupy sentiment. A little fright, a little fun, and a healthy respect for cause and effect.

BOOKS FOR KRAMPUSNACHT