Have you ever wondered how the little song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” got its start? For those of us who are not part of a liturgical church (observing the liturgical calendar), the Twelve Days of Christmas are generally a corny song we sing at family gatherings.

For those in liturgical churches, the Twelve Days of Christmas celebration is an observance of the days between Christmas Day and Epipheny (January 6th). There’s a great deal of history behind celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas that I won’t delve into here. It is the origin of the song (not the celebration) that interests me.

There is a Christian tradition that the song was a hidden description of biblical instruction, a rhyming catechism, to teach children the basic doctrines of Holy Scripture during the 16th century religious wars in England when those in the Catholic Church were not allowed to practice their religion privately or publicly. Each verse and symbol had a double meaning. “My true love” is God himself, for example.

Some claim this is an “urban legend.” We simply don’t know for sure. So I am passing this along with the understanding it may, or may not, be true. It is, however, fascinating. With no further introduction, here is The Twelve Days of Christmas as you have not heard it before:

1st Day: The “partridge in a pear tree” is Christ Jesus upon the Cross. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge because she would feign injury to decoy a predator away from her nestlings. She was even willing to die for them. The tree is the symbol of the fall of the human race through the sin of Adam and Eve. It is also the symbol of its redemption by Jesus Christ on the tree of the Cross.

2nd Day: The “two turtle doves” refers to the Old and New Testaments.

3rd Day: The “three French hens” stand for faith, hope and love—the three gifts of the Spirit that abide.

4th Day: The “four calling birds” refers to the four evangelists who wrote the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—which sing the song of salvation through Jesus Christ.

5th Day: The “five golden rings” represents the first five books of the Bible, also called the Jewish Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

6th Day: The “six geese a-laying” is the six days of creation: Day 1 – The heavens, the earth, light and darkness; Day 2 – Heaven; Day 3 – Dry land, the seas, and vegetation; Day 4 – The sun, the moon and the stars; Day 5 – Living creatures in the water, birds in the air; Day 6 – Land animals and people.

7th Day: The “seven swans a-swimming” refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: (1) wisdom, (2) understanding, (3) counsel, (4) fortitude, (5) knowledge, (6) piety and (7) fear of the Lord.

8th Day: The “eight maids a milking ” reminded children of the eight beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are (1) the poor in spirit, (2) those who mourn, (3) the meek, (4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, (5) the merciful, (6) the pure in heart, (7) the peacemakers, (8) those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

9th Day: The “nine ladies dancing” were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: (1) love, (2) joy, (3) peace, (4) patience, (5) kindness, (6) goodness, (7) faithfulness, (8) gentleness and (9) self control.

10th Day: The “ten lords a-leaping” represents the Ten Commandments: (1) You shall have no other gods before me; (2) Do not make an idol; (3) Do not take God’s name in vain; (4) Remember the Sabbath Day; (5) Honor your father and mother; (6) Do not murder; (7) Do not commit adultery; (8) Do not steal; (9) Do not bear false witness; (10) Do not covet.

11th Day: The “eleven pipers piping” refers to the eleven faithful apostles: (1) Simon Peter, (2) Andrew, (3) James, (4) John, (5) Philip, (6) Bartholomew, (7) Matthew, (8) Thomas, (9) James bar Alphaeus, (10) Simon the Zealot, (11) Judas bar James.

12th Day: The ‘twelve drummers drumming” were the twelve points of belief expressed in the Apostles’ Creed: (1) belief in God the Father, (2) the Son and (3) the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was (4) born of the Virgin Mary, (5) made man, (6) was crucified, (7) died and (8) arose on the third day, that he (9) sits at the right hand of the father and (10) will come again, (11) the resurrection of the dead and (12) life everlasting.

Thanks to Debby Dickson for sending this to me.

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