The Twelve Days of Christmas
Christmas/Advent 2009
The 12 Days of Christmas starts Christmas Day and finishes with the eve of Epiphany on January 5th.
Catholics in England during the period 1558 – 1829 were prohibited from any practice of their faith by law, private or public.
It was a crime to be a Catholic in England during this time in history.
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith, a memory aid.
The songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith.
The "true love" mentioned in the song does not refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself.
The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person.
In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks...."
The other symbols mean the following:
1 Partridge in a Pear Tree = Jesus Christ, Son of God
2 Turtle Doves = the Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch"
6 Geese A-laying = the six Days of Creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit and/or the seven Sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight Beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the Ten Commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven Faithful Apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve Points of Doctrine in the Apostle's Creed
The 12 Days of Christmas starts Christmas Day and finishes with the eve of Epiphany on January 5th.
Catholics in England during the period 1558 – 1829 were prohibited from any practice of their faith by law, private or public.
It was a crime to be a Catholic in England during this time in history.
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith, a memory aid.
The songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith.
The "true love" mentioned in the song does not refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself.
The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person.
In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks...."
The other symbols mean the following:
1 Partridge in a Pear Tree = Jesus Christ, Son of God
2 Turtle Doves = the Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch"
6 Geese A-laying = the six Days of Creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit and/or the seven Sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight Beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the Ten Commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven Faithful Apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve Points of Doctrine in the Apostle's Creed