bob44044 Loc: Ohio

The meaning of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”

That is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won’t come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.

Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church.

Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember:

1. ‘The partridge in a pear tree’ was Jesus Christ.
2. ‘Two turtle doves’ were the Old and New Testaments.
3. ‘Three French hens’ stood for faith, hope and love.
4. The ‘four calling birds’ were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
5. The ‘five golden rings’ recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
6. The ‘six geese a-laying’ stood for the six days of creation.
7. ‘Seven swans a-swimming’ represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit–Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
8. The ‘eight maids a-milking’ were the eight beatitudes.
9. ‘Nine ladies dancing’ were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit–Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
10. The ‘ten lords a-leaping’ were the Ten Commandments.
11. The ‘eleven pipers piping’ stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
12. The ‘twelve drummers drumming’ symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.

So there is your history for today, I found it interesting and enlightening.

14kphotog Loc: Marietta, Ohio

Very good !!! I had herd this 50 years ago but had not for a long time. Every one should read and know what it stands for. Thank you.

rrozema Loc: Sacramento, California

interesting

joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

Thanks for sharing this.

jederick Loc: Northern Utah

DougS Loc: Central Arkansas

Thanks for sharing. I think saw this many years ago, but had forgotten exactly what it was.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Very interesting

Klickitatdave Loc: Seattle Washington

I hate to be a buzz kill but the "Twelve Days of Christmas" is not a “Catechism song for young Catholics" that was designed to teach Christian doctrines during a time when Christians were punished for their beliefs. In fact, most historians believe that this carol originated in France, and that it was first published in England in 1780 in a children's book titled "Mirth With-Out Mischief".

In an article by Katie Bourque and Annie O'Sullivan on the Good Housekeeping Web site it is noted that "It is believed that the Christmas carol started out as a "memory-and-forfeit" game in 1800s England.” and that the song as we know it today was not even finalized until 1909.

Snopes investigated the claims that “Twelve Days of Christmas” was a surreptitious method of teaching Christian doctrines and found the theory to be unsupported by facts. As was pointed out, why would anyone include the word “Christmas” in a song designed to hide the fact that one was a Christian given that it is a central holiday of the faith?

Again, I wish that I did not have to be a buzz kill but I believe that it is important and essential to confront examples of misinformation whenever and wherever it is encountered. While an interesting theory, it is unfortunately an example of an unsubstantiated, erroneous myth.

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

This reminds me of that old Tex Ritter song "Deck of Cards" where various cards have biblical references.