This is nothing new to European and Canadian iThing customers, but Apple has released the 12 Days app which offers 12 days of free downloads, including music, apps, books, movies, and more. The free items are only valid for 24 hours and some content may not be available in all areas. The promotion starts on Dec. 26th and runs until Jan. 6th and is the first time Apple has offered it to US customers. For the past three years (introduced in Dec 2010) that the holiday promotion has been going, the goodies have only been available in Europe and Canada, although it was only available in the UK the first year, adding eligible locations in Europe and Canada in 2011. According to a MacNN article from 2011, there is a history behind the 12 Days giveaway.
“[…] the countdown has its roots in Eastern Christianity, which traditionally holds the Feast of Epiphany on Jan. 6 to celebrate Jesus’ baptism.”
“Many countries outside the United States mark at least the first of the twelve nights, often called Boxing Day or St. Stephens Day. The twelfth night is also seen as the traditional day to remove the last vestiges of Christmas decorations and celebratory foods.”
There is also that 12 Days of Christmas song. This holiday promotion is the second offering from Apple this year. A few days ago we reported on the Holiday Playlist music giveaway which offered 8 free holiday songs from the iTunes Music Store. There’s no calling Apple the Grinch this year.