The traditional 12 Days of Christmas lasts from Christmas Day through January 5. According to Wikipedia, “The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Twelvetide, is a festive Christian season to celebrate the nativity of Jesus.” While most of us here in the United States do not celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, some people give gifts on each of the 12 days to represent a wish for each month of the New Year. Some also light a candle for each day or ignite a Yule log on Christmas Day and burn it on each of the 12 nights. As I am always a bit sad to see the holidays come and go, I really like the idea of the 12 Days of Christmas, providing a means for a longer celebration of our Savior’s birth.
For my Christmas week Chamber Talk, my gift to you is a poorly rendered, yet sincere, 12 Days of Christmas…Lake Gaston-style! On the 12th Day of Christmas, the Lake Gaston region gave to me… …Twelve Sensational Suns a-Settin’ …Eleven Wakeboarders a-Wakin’ …Ten Fantastic FABs Wave Riding …Nine Lovely Ladies Clubbers Singing …Eight Lake Gaston Lions a Selling Seafood …Seven Boats a Cruising …Six Fishermen a Casting …Five Connected Counties …Four Osprey Flying …Three Eagles Nesting …Two Stellar States, and …One Lovely Lake Gaston region!
At this beautiful season, I am grateful for each of the business people in the Lake Gaston region who had an idea and took a chance on opening a business, for keeping many of our regional residents employed, for giving to our local charitable organizations and churches, and for contributing to our local tax base. All of you are community champions in my book at this time of year and always. I am grateful for the good work of those charitable organizations, churches and civic clubs and the willingness of the staff and volunteers of those groups to roll up their sleeves and do what needs to be done to help people of all ages through their time and talents. I am also grateful for this organization – the Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce – and the privilege I have in working on behalf of our members on a daily basis. My board of directors is absolutely wonderful, all of which believe fully in the mission of our organization and are willing to give of their time as volunteers to do whatever it takes to improve our region for the betterment of our businesses, our residents and our visitors. Our Chamber staff – Aggie Burke and Jane Teasley – are both amazing women who contribute their creativity and energy to this organization, and the Chamber and I are all the better for it.
God bless the Lake Gaston region during the 12 Days of Christmas and throughout 2016.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce!
