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Song: Twelve days of Christmas
1. Song: Twelve days of Christmas
The "
twelve days of Christmas", is a cumulative song first published in the 1780. It started with pagan origins.
Pre-Christian Yule (geol) festivals during winter solstice. Green and red colors.
Carols such as "Deck the Halls", as a covering as in "Thatch the halls", etc.
Fast until end of Christmas Eve.
12 days of celebration after Christmas day until Epiphany (magi).
How many total gifts when the song is sung (sing, sang, sung) through completely?
364 plus the baby Jesus
The Christmas song "
The twelve days of Christmas", in the final verse, has
12 lines, or parts, and
78 gifts. The number
78 is an example of a "
triangular number". The song is sung over and over.
2. Yule log custom
(England) Yule log custom (pagan winter feast)
Cut a tree, hollow it out, fill with spices, etc.
After written, this song was often sung at the beginning of the Christmas season as they lit the Yule log.
Burn it during 12 days of Christmas, hope it lasts many days for good luck. That day, 12 days after Christmas, was the traditional day that the Wise Men (i.e., Magi) arrived to see the baby Jesus.
3. Epiphany
The 12 days are the 12 days after Christmas day until Epiphany, when, traditionally, the Wise Men visited the baby Jesus.
At one time, this was a pagan festival time, but was taken over by the church and given religious significance.
Here is the last verse.
4. Final verse
On the
twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
12 Drummers Drumming, 11 Pipers Piping,
10 Lords
*a Leaping, 9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids
*a Milking, 7 Swans *
a Swimming
6 Geese
*a Laying, 5 Golden Rings,
4 Calling Birds, 3 French Hens,
2 Turtle Doves, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree
*Older English often used "a" before verbs such as "a Hunting" we shall go.
5. Triangular number 12
The Christmas song "
The twelve days of Christmas", in the final verse, has
12 lines, or parts, and
78 gifts. The number
78 is an example of a "
triangular number". The song is sung over and over.
How many total gifts?
364 plus the baby Jesus
6. Like a pub song
Many people think of the song "
Twelve days of Christmas" as a somewhat nonsensical pub type of song similar to the following.
"I saw momma kissing Santa Claus"
"Grandma got run over by a reindeer"
How about secular pub songs such as the following?
"99 bottles of beer on the wall"
7. Code
The persecuted Catholic church in Britain gave each part a religious significance for teaching purposes.
Note: This origin is disputed, as these meanings may have been added later.
8. Origins
This song originated as an important teaching song of the Catholic church in England, where the Anglican church persecuted all others, including especially the Catholic's - with imprisonment, torture, and death by painful execution - even children (there were no age restrictions).
9. Memory theater
Each verse is a code for a special meaning to help remember the faith.
The technique of "
memory theater" is to imagine a journey where thing seen relates to something that needs to be remembered.
Education used to have many jingles, rhymes, songs, etc., to help remember important things.
30 days hath September, etc.
10. A partridge in a pear tree
Partridge: faith and dedication
Pear tree: cross and sacrifice of Jesus, symbol of original sin by eating of the fruit
11. Two turtle doves
Two: Old and New Testaments
Turtle doves: symbol of truth and peace
12. Three French Hens
Three French Hens: Three expensive gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh, brought by the Wise Men (serving French hens were a sign of wealth)
13. Four calling birds
Four calling birds: Four Gospel authors - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, calling attention to the message of Jesus Christ.
14. Four calling birds
The original "
Twelve days of Christmas" had "
four colly birds" where "
colly" meant "
black". That is "
four black birds" where "
colly" meant "
coal".
In "
A midsummer night's dream", Shakespeare uses the phrase "
brief as the lightning in the collied night".
The phrase "
four colly birds" had become "
four calling birds" in the 1909 Frederic Austin version.
15. Five golden rings
Five golden rings: Five Old Testament books of Moses - the Law. Reminder of the fall from grace due to sin and the salvation of Jesus Christ.
16. Six geese a laying
Six geese a laying: World made in six days, each a symbol of new life and creation.
17. Seven swans a swimming
Seven swans a swimming: Paul's seven gifts with which to swim through life as a witness for Jesus:
1. prophesy
2. service
3. teaching
4. encouraging
5. giving
6. leadership
7. mercy.
18. Eight maids a milking
Eight maids a milking: Work for the common man (menial tasks). Eight representing the eight Beatitudes in Matthew 5.
Here is a quick summary of the Beatitudes. Each starts with "
Blessed are".
1. poor in spirit - theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. they that mourn - shall be comforted.
3. the meek - shall inherit the earth
4. those that hunger and thirst for righteousness - shall be filled
5. the merciful - shall obtain mercy
6. the pure in heart - shall see God
7. the peacemakers - shall be called children of God
8. the persecuted for righteousness sake - theirs is the kingdom of heaven
...Reviled... (follow-on, not same format as previous eight)
19. Nine ladies dancing
Nine ladies dancing: Fruits of the spirit with which one should dance through life:
1. love
2. joy
3. peace
4. patience
5. kindness
6. goodness
7. faithfulness
8. gentleness
9. self-control
20. Ten lords a leaping
Ten lords a leaping: Ten commandments with which a just an honorable man should leap through life.
21. Eleven pipers piping
Eleven pipers piping: Eleven disciples (twelve minus Judas) who piped the message of the Gospel as witnesses for the rest of their lives.
22. Twelve drummers drumming
Twelve drummers drumming: The twelve elements of the Apostle's Creed with which to use as a beating rhythm with which to live ones life and witness to others.
23. End of persecution
By the time the persecution of Catholics officially ended, the song had taken on a life of it's own. The original meaning was lost to many who never knew the original intended purpose.
24. End of page
