Some of you have read the story about this Christmas song, but I am hoping to get the story and illustrations together. I do not know who first started the e-mail that has gone around and around; it was first sent to us in 2002 by a cousin who is a great history teacher. If anyone knows who the author is, I would like to give the author credit. And now the story... 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 who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? Well just read on:
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 the 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.
1. The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
2. Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments
3. Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
4. The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
5. The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books.
6. The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creating.
7. Seven swans a swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy,Serving,Teaching,Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.
8. The eight maids a milking were the eight beatitudes.
9. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
10. The ten lords a leaping were the ten commandments.
11. The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
12. The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles Creed.
So there is your history for today. How about that! I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol."
May you have a merry Christmas; turn on the sound, click on the snowy scene below, then sing along!
Merry Christmas!
8 comments:
Merry Christmas! I just got that as an email the other day. Very interesting, isn't it?
How interesting! Thanks for sharing!
Hi!
I hope you will have a ....
MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I hope we will have some snow to sone...
Linda
Wow, thanks for sharing the history behind that song. I never knew that. Merry Christmas Barbee!
Very interesting! I'd wondered the same thing...thanks!
Thank You, each and everyone, for your interest and comments. I enjoyed reading them. Time is flying, isn't it!
Thank you again for this card, and the 'Peace' card. Both beautiful. Yes, December did fly by - a busy month indeed!
I hope you're finding some peaceful time for relaxation now, as I am.
I hadn't read the story about this song before. Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Kerri, it is so good to see that you have been by here today. I'm glad you enjoyed the cards. I hesitated to post the history of the song, I was afraid everyone already knew about it, but decided to do it anyway... glad I did.
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