The odd gifts, like the tongue-twister of repeating them as the verses run through twelve, do seem silly:
On the first day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
A partridge in a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
Soon the gifts run to three French hens, four calling birds and so on.
According to Ace Collins in his book Stories Behind the Best Loved Songs of Christmas, all these gifts are symbols of the Catholic faith that come from a time when the Catholic religion was banned in England. Beginning in the Sixteenth Century, Catholics could be executed if caught practicing their religion, and this law applied even to children. The Church of England was the legal religion of the land.
Rather than give up their faith, devout Catholics met in secret to worship.
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” was a means of teaching the tenets of their religion to their children in a way unrecognizable to the English authorities.
The “true love” giving the gifts represented the pure love of God. Each gift represented a major doctrine of the Catholic faith. Here are the gifts’ meanings:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree
The partridge represents the courage and devotion of Christ dying for his people. A mother partridge will lure predators away from her chicks, even sacrificing her life for them. The pear tree symbolizes the wooden cross upon which Jesus died.
Two Turtle Doves
This represents the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Doves also symbolize truth and peace.
Three French Hens
French hens were the food of kings in sixteenth century England. Here they represent the expensive gifts brought by the wise men to the newborn Jesus.
Four Calling Birds
These symbolize the authors of the four Gospels.
Five Gold Rings
These are the five Old Testament books known as the Law of Moses.
Six Geese A-Laying
Here we have the six days in which God created the world. The eggs, from which new life springs, symbolize creation.
Seven Swans a-Swimming
These represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit outlined by the apostle Paul: prophesy, service, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership and mercy. The swan, a graceful bird, symbolized these virtues.
Eight Maids A-Milking
Being a milk maid was one of the lowest jobs in sixteenth century England. Jesus came to save the poor and the humble, thus this gift represents Jesus’ love for the common people.
Nine Ladies Dancing
This dance represents the nine fruits of the spirit: love joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Ten Lords A-Leaping
Here is a reminder of the Ten Commandments.
Eleven Pipers Piping
These represent the eleven faithful apostles who followed Jesus to the end and spread his message after his death. While there were twelve apostles, one betrayed Jesus.
Twelve Drummers Drumming
This is a symbol for the twelve tenets of the Catholic faith laid out in the prayer, “The Apostles’ Creed”. The drummers may provide the cadence for reciting this prayer.
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” seems to have become a popular carol in its day without anyone ever figuring out that it really was the profession of a faith that England had made illegal.
Source:
Stories Behind the Best Loved Songs of Christmas, by Ace Collins, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2001.
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