The Twelve Chimes Before Christmas

Christmas is a time when everyone comes together to celebrate a joyous day. But as we immerse ourselves in festivities, sometimes we fail to recall the things we hold dear. In a small faraway town that was once lost and forgotten, everyone waits for the twelve chimes to ring on a cold Christmas Eve. Each chime holds a memory and a story to tell that, although somber, illustrates the true meaning of Christmas. A boy dressed in raggedy clothes stumbles through the deep snow until he arrives at a red, white, and green house. After he is saved from the cold by the family inside, he receives an unexpected yet wonderful gift. A young woman trapped in an unhappy marriage waits every Christmas Eve to remember the boy she once loved. A homeless little girl without a name sits on a bench and stares at a far town shrouded by snow. After a kindly old woman hands her a warm cape one night, the girl decides to give all of her twelve precious matches to strangers and decides her fate. The Twelve Chimes before Christmas is a poignant collection of lyrical holiday tales that remind all of us to embrace simple blessings, gratitude, and the kindness of strangers.

Orion Blightman (Kwan Ee, Chan) is majoring in language and communication at the University of Hong Kong. He is author of the poetry publication, Still I Fight, on Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, and is actively involved in a variety of creative projects that include poetry, short stories, and dramas.