12 Days of Christmas
It's almost "that time of the year" and if you're a Christmas junkie like me, you are probably decorating your apartment, watching all the classic Christmas movies and listening to all the traditional songs. One of our traditional songs, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is usually seen as simply a nonsense song for children. However, some have suggested that it is a song of Christian instruction dating to the 16th century religious wars in England, with hidden references to the basic teachings of the Catholic Faith.
Catholics in England during the period from 1558 to 1829 were forbidden by law to practice their faith openly. As a result of this ban, the Catholics created the secretive and symbolic-catechism song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as a means of preserving doctrines of the faith to teach their children the truths of their religion. Since the song sounded like rhyming nonsense rather than a religious song, young Catholics could sing it without fear of imprisonment.
Each of the gifts in the song has a hidden meaning that represents a significant teaching of the Catholic faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, but to God Himself. The "me" who receives the gifts refers to every baptized person, or the Church.
The first gift is a "partridge in a pear tree." The bird symbolizes Christ, who gathers His young under His wings. The tree symbolizes the tree of forbidden fruit-the fall of the human race through the sin of Adam and Eve and our redemption by Jesus Christ on the tree of the Cross.
The "two turtle doves" symbolize the Old and New Testaments.
"Three French hens" symbolize Faith, Hope and Charity.
"Four calling birds" represent the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, who wrote the Gospels which sing the song of salvation through Jesus Christ. "Five golden rings" represent the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These books are the law which Christ came to fulfill and complete.
"Six geese a-laying" represent the first six days of creation when man labors and brings forth fruit of the land.
"Seven swans a-swimming" represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.
"Eight maids a-milking" represent the eight beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount.
"Nine ladies dancing" recalls the nine ranks of angels and the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
. "Ten Lords a-leaping" signify the Ten Commandments.
The "Eleven pipers piping" refer to the eleven faithful apostles.
Finally, "Twelve drummers drumming" remind man of the twelve points of belief expressed in the Apostles' Creed: belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that He sits at the right hand of the Father and will come again at the resurrection of the dead to usher in life everlasting.
So the next time you hear "The Twelve Days of Christmas," consider how this otherwise non-religious sounding song had its origins in keeping alive the teaching of the Catholic faith.
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