Holiday Giveaway

The GIVEAWAY is over. The winner of 12 books is Connie, whose favorite holiday dish is a meatless mincemeat pie. Thank you to those who took the time to comment. I enjoyed reading about everyone's holiday favorites.

While writing a Poe version of "The 12 Days of Christmas," I researched the song's origin. The lyrics enumerate gifts given each day leading up to the 12th day after Christmas, the traditional end of the holiday season. According to Christian tradition, that was the day the Magi presented the Christ child with gifts. Twelfth Night festivities, which date back to medieval England, involved gift giving, games, songs, dances, and a special food--the Twelfth Night cake, made with butter, eggs, sugar, fruit, nuts, spices, and a dried bean. The person whose slice of cake contained the bean served as the king or queen of the revels, with power to command the others. Disguises and sometimes social role reversals occurred, as servants gave orders to their "betters" for one night a year.

To celebrate Twelfth Night, I'm giving away twelve books, mostly cozy mysteries, on January 6, 2018. To enter the drawing for the books, leave a comment about a food you associate with the holidays and include your email address. I'll announce the winner here on January 7th. One winner will receive all twelve books. Sorry, I can send only to postal addresses in the U.S. My favorite holiday food is my grandmother's dessert pierogi with a sweet cheese filling. What's yours?