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The Twelve Days Of Christmas
By Tim Knappenberger
Philippians 1:27-30
"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel
of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in
my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending
as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in
any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they
will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God. For
it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on
him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same
struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. "
In the not-so-tolerant past, music and poetry were often used as media
of expression for ideas that were not in fashionable with the
contemporary powers that be. Mother Goose rhymes were disguised
political commentaries of their day. The Twelve Days of Christmas was
written along similar lines. While "surfing", I happened on this history
of the carol. There was no author cited:
The English began writing carols in the 15th century, but later the
Puritans suppressed these religious songs altogether. After Christmas
was restored in England, festive songs praising feasting and good will
developed. During this time, Catholics in England could not openly
practice their faith. So, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" became popular
as a Catechism song for young Catholics, according to Ann Ball's book,
"A Handbook of Catholic Sacramentals."
- Instead of referring to a suitor, the "true love" mentioned in the
song refers to God.
- The "me" receiving the presents is symbolic of every
baptized person.
- The partridge in the pear tree is Jesus Christ, and in
the song, He is symbolically presented as a mother partridge who feigns
injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings.
The other symbols carry their own religious meanings:
- Two turtle doves: The Old and New Testaments
- Three french hens: Faith, hope and charity
- Four calling birds: The four Gospels
- Five gold rings: The first five books of the Old Testament or the Torah
- Six geese a laying: The six days of creation
- Seven swans a-swimming: The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Eight maids a-milking: The eight Beatitudes
- Nine ladies dancing: The nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
- Ten lords a-leaping: The Ten Commandments
- Eleven pipers piping: The eleven faithful disciples
- Twelve drummers drumming: The twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed
How interesting and sad that a song written to secretly remind
Christians about the doctrines of their faith was disguised so well that
after 400 years, the secular world more identifies with this carol than
do Christians who are mostly unaware of its origins and meanings.
The freedom to exercise our faith in this country is still amazing. Cherish it
this Christmas!
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"Internetspirations" is copyright 1996 by Robert Clemmons and used with
the kind permission of the author. Please visit his homepage,
Internetspirations. He may be reached by
e-mail at: raclemmo@uci.edu
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