4th Day of Christmas Haiku, Four Calling Birds

on the 4th day of Christmas, 4th Day of Christmas Haiku, Calling Birds — 4th Day of Christmas Haiku, Calling Birds

Thick necks, black, shaggy

Feathers, raven’s high shrill warns:

Fear! Four calling birds.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you will enjoy the 12 Days of Christmas haiku; there will be published one each day starting on Christmas Day. Subscribe to my newsletter to never miss a blog post.

Today Christianity celebrates the The Feast of the Holy Innocents, remembering the baby boys killed by King Herod while trying to find baby Jesus and get rid of Him.

In previous versions of “12 Days of Christmas” the calling birds were colly birds, collie birds, coloured birds or canary birds – but meaning black birds, the European Blackbird or the common blackbird, Turdus Merula, ‘colly’ deriving from ‘coaly’, of ‘coal’ color, black – the crow.

Let’s remember the Medieval culinary traditions involving gourmet meals on special occasions and baked pies with surprising fillings! Blackbirds, being quite big and abundant during those times,were considered a delicacy – so four black birds for a Christmas time feast was appealing. Remember, “Song of Six Pence” speaks of 24 blackbirds baked in a pie!

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