Even before we came up with our Florida Holidays project, Aleida Morse was getting into the spirit.
Morse teaches performing arts at Academy at the Lakes in Land O' Lakes. Many years ago, her third-graders rewrote The 12 Days of Christmas to make it a bit more... Florida.
Geese a-laying and a partridge in a pear tree? Not so much. But Florida panthers and a big glass of sweet tea? That's more like it. (At the bottom of this post, you can read the full lyrics to the song.)
"It’s a favorite piece here at our school and one that we enjoy singing every year," Morse wrote in an email to WUSF. "I hope you enjoy it and add it to your collection of other Florida holiday traditions."
Morse's choir of second- through sixth-graders recently performed the piece at the school's winter concert, as she accompanied them on guitar. You knew this was destined for YouTube:
The 12 Days of Christmas -- Florida-style:
- One big glass of sweet tea
- Two sand hill cranes
- Three palm trees
- Four pool floats
- Five key lime pies
- Six sandy beaches
- Seven alligators
- Eight juicy oranges
- Nine Florida panthers
- Ten days at Disney
- Eleven scoops of ice cream
- Twelve pink flamingos
