The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Origin of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.

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

Today, I found out, thanks to the Internet.

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

• One true love refers to God.

• A partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on December 25, the first day of Christmas. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not have it so . . . ." (Luke 13:34)
  

• Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world.

• Three French hens stood for Faith, Hope and Love, the Theological Virtues. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
  

• The four calling birds were the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke & John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

• The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, first Five Books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which give the history of humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

• The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world. (Genesis 1)

• Seven swans a-swimming represented the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments: Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leadership and Mercy/Compassion. (Romans 12:6-8; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11)

• The eight maids a-milking were the eight Beatitudes:1) Blessed are 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. (Matthew 5:3-10)

• Nine ladies dancing were the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. (Galatians 5:22)

• The ten lords a-leaping were 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. (Exodus 20:1-17)

• The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful apostles.

• The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed.

-Dennis Bratcher