What are the "twelve days of Christmas"?

• Pagan festival after winter solstice (Roman Saturnalia, etc.)
• Carols such as "Deck the Halls", etc.
• Given religious meaning by Christian church

• Fast until end of Christmas Eve
• 12 days of celebration after Christmas day until Epiphany
• Wise men visited the baby Jesus at Epiphany
• Pagan festival after winter solstice (Roman Saturnalia, etc.)
• Carols such as "Deck the Halls", etc.
• Given religious meaning by Christian church

Would you not like to fast until the end of Christmas Eve? 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. 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

To some, each of these lines had a special meaning.

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).

Note: This origin is disputed, as these meanings may have been added later.

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.

Partridge: faith and dedication
Pear tree: cross and sacrifice of Jesus, symbol of original sin by eating of the fruit The verses keep adding another line, so the song can be quite long when sung in entirety.

Two: Old and New Testaments
Turtle doves: symbol of truth and peace

The name "turtle" does not mean a reptile with hard shell, four legs, etc. The name "turtle" came from the sound made by the birds, as in "tur, tur".

Three French Hens: Three expensive gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh, brought by the Wise Men (serving French hens were a sign of wealth)

Four calling birds: Four Gospel authors - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, calling attention to the message of Jesus Christ.

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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.

Six geese a laying: World made in six days, each a symbol of new life and creation.

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.

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)

In the Christmas song, "Twelve days of Christmas", the "nine ladies dancing" is sometimes said to represent the nine "fruit of the spirit" from Galatians 5 that one should evidence to dance through life:

• 1. love
• 2. joy
• 3. peace
• 4. patience
• 5. kindness
• 6. goodness
• 7. faithfulness
• 8. gentleness
• 9. self-control

For more information, see the following:  Twelve days of Christmas (this page).

• Ten lords a leaping: Ten commandments with which a just an honorable man should leap through life.

• Eleven pipers piping: Eleven disciples (twelve minus Judas) who piped the message of the Gospel as witnesses for the rest of their lives.

• Twelve drummers drumming: The twelve elements of the Apostle's Creed which to use as a beating rhythm is to live ones life and witness to others.

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.

The verses keep adding another line, so the song can be quite long when sung in entirety.

If one adds up the total gifts, one gets the following

One gift for every day of the year except Christmas. (leap years excluded). To some, that gift is the baby Jesus.