The Twelve Days of Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you who walk the Family Trails with me. I hope your Christmas was filled with the light and the hope that the Christ Child brings to us. I look at this beautiful Advent wreath in our church and think how fortunate we are in our country to freely display the candles, the creches, the wreaths, and the crosses without fear of persecution. We can sing, "Oh! come let us adore Him!" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" with loud voices and then act upon those words safely and boldly where we live.  

So in thinking about these freedoms, I thought about this little book we have in our Christmas book collection.

As the title, says, this book tells the how-and-why we sing these favorite Christmas songs.

The story behind the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written for Christians who lived in FEAR! Yes, this favorite Christmas song that is great to sing on a long car ride or act out at a party, actually tells about how Catholics in Great Britain during the 16th century found a way to teach their children the story of the Gospels as they were forced to go underground with their faith or risk being killed.
Each verse was carefully constructed to help children learn the doctrines of their church using a secret code. I won't retype the entire chapter of this book, but it is a good read. Anyone who loves Christmas will enjoy learning more about all of the beautiful songs we are free to sing every Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
A partridge in a pear tree. 
This true love is not a love-sick young man. It is Christ.
The partridge is a symbol of courage and devotion when protecting her babies from enemies, even into her own death.
The pear tree symbolizes the cross…."and together, the first gift represented the ultimate gift given by the Babe born on Christmas Day."

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Two turtledoves…
Two turtledoves represent the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
Doves also are symbols of truth and peace.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Three French hens…
French hens were very expensive in the 16th century, "a meal fit for a king."
The three French hens symbolize the three gifts from the wise men.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Four calling birds….
The four calling birds symbolize the four Gospels.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Five golden rings…
The five rings represent the five Old Testament books-The law of Moses or the Torah.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Six geese a-laying…
representing the story of creation taking place in 6 days-
through the image of eggs-a symbol for new life.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Seven swans a-swimming…
the seven "gifts of the Holy Spirit" that Paul wrote about in Romans 12.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Eight maids a-milking…
For a woman who milked the cow, there was no lower, or more demeaning job. This verse taught children that Jesus came to save ALL.
The number "8" helped to teach the 8 Beatitudes.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Nine ladies dancing…
The nine fruits of the Spirit were taught in this verse; the ladies' dance represented the true joy of serving Christ.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Ten lords a-leaping…
Yes, you guessed it! The ten commandments.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Eleven pipers piping….
The eleven disciples who "embraced Christ and his message of salvation."

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Twelve drummers drumming…
This final verse represents the twelve different elements professed in
"The Apostles' Creed."

Whew! That is so much for a child to learn, especially if the child is scared and told not to repeat  any of the details in the lessons. As children, we were taught these lessons but over time and in a safe place. This song reminds us how much we have to be thankful for and to remember those children who live in dangerous parts of the world where worshipping freely is not tolerated.

*These pictures of children depicting "The Twelve Days of Christmas"
were drawn by Tony DeLuna and published in 1963. *

I hope your twelve days of Christmas are filled with hope and light and peace.
Love,
Mariellan