Twelve Days of Christmas “Five Gold Rings”

Nothing says Christmas like your favorite characters getting together to re-enact your best-loved carols. Join Midphase as we start the music and light the lights with our countdown to Christmas with the Muppets for the fifth day of Christmas and Five Gold Rings.  
I simply cannot hear the phrase ‘Five Gold Rings’ without imagining Miss Piggy and her over-exaggerated “ba dum dum dums.” The Muppets have been a part of my Christmas tradition since before I can remember. Jim Henson’s creations will forever be included in my holiday ‘must watch’ list. But for those of you who are not as familiar with Kermit, Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear, let me explain.

Created in 1955, The Muppets are a collection of puppet characters known best for a variety-sketch comedy that began in 1976. The show consisted of small sketches with music, dancing, and other performances while including celebrities of the era. Julie Andrews, Vincent Price, Elton John and Arlo Guthrie are just a few of the big names that were featured. The show lasted five seasons with a total of 120 episodes.
The Muppets were such a success that they moved beyond television to the big screen and were featured in a half dozen movies as well as holiday specials, musical works and ‘Muppets Tonight’, a series continuation of The Muppet Show. Their holiday specials and Christmas albums were a favorite as a child, and if John Denver hadn’t joined The Muppets for their version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in 1979, I might not know the song at all.
John Denver and the Muppets covered “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as a part of a special called “John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together.” The special originated as Christmas album that made it all the way to #26 on the Billboard Charts.
Holiday favorites from The Muppets also include The Muppet Christmas Carol, when all of the favorite characters stand in for the Charles Dicken’s classic. The Muppets always had a way of popping into many pop culture events, for example lighting the tree at Rockefeller Center or public television fundraisers (Beaker’s Ode to Joy isn’t so bad either!).
After a brief hiatus, The Muppets were revived in 2011 with “The Muppets” starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams. The film features a blend of old Muppet classics with current celebrities and music, and the soundtrack is great.
It’s safe to say that The Muppets have been everywhere and done just about everything you can imagine. They hold a major portion of popular culture in the last 70 years, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Stay tuned for Midphase’s interpretation of ‘Four Calling Birds’ in tomorrows addition of Midphase’s Twelve Days of Christmas at Midphase.com/blog.