Music Friday: 5 Golden Rings Shine in Viral Mashup of 'The 12 Days of Christmas'

It's Music Friday, and with Christmas only two days away, we're excited to bring you one of the most viral holiday-season songs of all time — Straight No Chaser’s witty and masterfully arranged rendition of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” To date, the original version of the a cappella group’s “12 Days” has been viewed on YouTube more than 25 million times.

As most of us know, the jewelry reference in this sing-along classic comes on the fifth day of Christmas when “my true love gave to me, five golden rings.”

Straight No Chaser’s “12 Days” is famous for its comic infusions of other songs, such as “I Have a Little Dreidel” and Toto’s “Africa.” SNC’s version was inspired by a 1968 comic arrangement of the song by Richard C. Gregory, a faculty member of The Williston Northampton School, a boarding school in western Massachusetts.

Originated on the campus of Indiana University in 1996, Straight No Chaser owes its worldwide fame to a video of a 1998 "12 Days" performance that was first posted to YouTube in 2006. That video went viral and caught the attention of Atlantic Records CEO Craig Kallman, who signed the group to a five-album deal in 2008.

“The 12 Days of Christmas” appeared as the eighth track from the group’s 2008 debut studio album, Holiday Spirits, which peaked at #46 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart.

The classic version of the song can be traced to England in 1780, when is was published as a chant or rhyme. The standard tune associated with it is derived from an arrangement credited to English composer Frederic Austin in 1909. Interestingly, he’s the one who came up with the idea of prolonging the phrase “five… golden… rings…”

Straight No Chaser is currently on the final leg of a 61-city "25th Anniversary Celebration" tour that started in Kitchener, Ontario, at the beginning of June and ends in Portland, OR, on New Year's Eve.

Please check out the video of Straight No Chaser performing “The 12 Days of Christmas” during the group's reunion tour in 2008.

Credit: Promotional photo via sncmusic.com.

45-Carat Sapphire Atop Miss Universe Crown Symbolizes Brighter Future

The 45-carat, pear-shaped, royal blue sapphire atop the brand new Miss Universe "Force for Good" crown symbolizes female empowerment, positive change and the hope for a brighter future.

More than 500 million viewers will marvel at the extraordinary headpiece when the current Miss Universe, India's Harnaaz Sandhu, crowns her successor at the 71st Miss Universe pageant in New Orleans on January 14. The event will be broadcast in more than 190 countries and territories.

Set with 993 gems and said to be worth $5.5 million, the crown was unveiled Monday in Bangkok by Fred Mouawad, the fourth generation co-guardian of the luxury Mouawad brand, along with Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, the new Thai owner of the Miss Universe Organization.

A video produced by Mouawad and posted to the Miss Universe Instagram page explains the interplay between the white diamonds on the base of the crown and the blue sapphires that dominate the top of the crown.

Reflecting the concept that significant change does not happen in an instant, but only after a sustained effort over time, the base of the crown is set with white diamonds symbolizing the status quo. The abstract serpent-like motif adorning the rim represents the status quo and barriers to change. These are outnumbered and dominated by the rippling waves above, as ultimately the force for good emerges victorious.

The video includes an animation that exaggerates the undulating, serpent-inspired design of the base. See the screen capture, above.

As the eye moves upward from the base, the color gradient changes from the glistening white of diamonds to the warm blue of sapphires, deepening in intensity towards the pinnacle of the crown, where the deep royal blue color of the 45-carat sapphire symbolizes goodness and hope for a brighter future.

"As we are stepping into the new era of women's empowerment," said Jakrajutatip, "[Miss Universe] will continue to be a global organization run by women for women with a promise to serve as an inspirational platform that celebrates diverse women, supporting them to realize their ambition and build self-confidence, while evolving the brand over time to be more relevant and appealing to the next generation."

Commented Mouawad, "The Mouawad Miss Universe Force for Good crown is a work of extraordinary craftsmanship, featuring 110 carats of blue sapphires and 48 carats of white diamonds in a design that evokes the organization's belief in a future forged by women who push the limits of what's possible and the incredible women from around the world who advocate for positive change."

You can check out the Mouawad-produced video at the Miss Universe Instagram page. Click this link.

Credits. Screen captures via Instagram / MissUniverse.

Ancient Mummies With Solid Gold Tongues Discovered in Egyptian Necropolis

Egypt’s Supreme Council for Archaeology recently unearthed ancient mummies with solid gold tongues in their mouths at a site 40 miles north of Cairo on the Nile Delta.

Archaeologists believe the mummies' actual tongues had been replaced by golden replicas during the embalming process so the deceased could communicate with Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld. Also discovered on the bones of several mummies were solid gold flakes, scarabs and lotus flowers.

The gold-tongue mummies were found during newly extended excavations of the Quewaisna necropolis that had been first explored in 1989. Salvaged items from the site — including amulets, figurines and pottery — have been dated from 300 BCE to 640 CE, and cover the Ptolemaic and Roman periods of Egyptian history. The mummies are believed to be more than 2,000 years old.

This wasn't the first time Egyptian archaeologists encountered golden tongues. In 2021, archaeologists made similar discoveries in both the coastal metropolis of Alexandria and the small village of El Bahnasa, about 130 miles south of Cairo.

It is likely that Egyptian embalmers equipped the deceased with golden tongues so they could better navigate the afterlife. It is well known that Egyptian mummies have been entombed with personal possessions and valuable items, such as food and wine, furniture, clothing, pottery and jewelry.

But the gold tongues are likely connected to Osiris, the Lord of Silence, who enforced a strict rule of speechlessness in the underworld. Ancient Egyptians may have believed that a golden tongue would allow the deceased to communicate with Osiris without making a sound.

The ancient Egyptians described gold as “the flesh of the gods” and believed the gleaming element possessed spiritual powers. Gold was also associated with Ra, the Sun God, who was the king of the deities and the father of all creation. He was the patron of the sun, heaven, kingship, power and light, according to egyptianmuseum.org.

Credits: Images courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.