A GLASGOW museum is giving visitors the opportunity to find out the story behind traditional festive song The Twelve Days of Christmas using a host of unusual props.
Curators at the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre have put together a special themed tour of the Nitshill treasure-trove, which is home to more than a million objects not currently on display at the city's galleries and museums.
Stuffed birds, an Indian painting and an African drum are just some of the items that have been dusted off by the curators to describe the possible origins of the song.
The song, which first appeared in print in 1780, refers to gifts given on the 12 days between Christmas Day and January 6, or Epiphany, the day Christians celebrate the visit of the three kings to Bethlehem to see Jesus.
The 12 days of Christmas were a time of partying and feasting, and the song probably describes the food and activities associated with it, according to Anna Lehr, a learning assistant at the centre.
Ms Lehr said: "Everyone has probably heard it or even sung the song, but you might not have ever really thought what it was all about. We decided to see if we could match all the different items in the song to the objects in our collection. We have a nice eclectic mix for the festive period and it's a nice thing for families to do together in between Christmas and new year.
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