As we lead up to Christmas and starting to get into the festive spirit we start singing carols and traditional Christmas songs. One of which, the classic, Twelve Days of Christmas.
Starting with a partridge in a pair tree and ending with 12 drummers drumming we all take delight in belting out 5 gold rings. But how many of us know the real meaning of the twelve days of Christmas?
The twelve days of Christmas is a Christian festive season surround the birth of Jesus. Starting on Christmas Day and ending on the 5th January, this festive season bridges the gap between Christmas and New Year and helps us to welcome in the next year.
Each gift given by your true love is symbolic of the Christian faith. The partridge in a pear tree symbolises the birth of Jesus Christ. The two turtle doves represent the combination of the Old and New Testament, this also falls off the day of The Feast Of St Stephen, also known as Boxing Day. To learn more about the history surrounding these events the English Heritage website has lots of information about Tudor Christmas and how they celebrated the twelve days of Christmas.
Three French hens depict faith, hope and love, whilst four calling birds are the four gospels:
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The five gold, or golden rings which has been debated for sometime due to the elongation of the phrase by Frederic Austin, symbolically depicts the five books of the Old Testament Six geese a-laying makes a link to the days of creation, and seven swans a-swimming suggests, rather cryptically, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, compassion, teaching, leading, giving, exhortation, ministry and prophecy.
The eight maids a-milking show the depth of the Christian faith and represents even those with less affluent jobs, at the time a milkmaid was a very low class job, will be welcomed by God. The nine ladies dancing are representative of the fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Patience, Kindness, Peace, Gentleness, Generosity, Faithfulness and Self-Control.
The Ten Lords a-leaping, being one of the easier to decipher, connotes the Ten Commandments. The Eleven Pipers Piping is about the 12 disciples – who became Eleven after the death of Judas. The 12 drummers drumming represent the 12 points of doctrine: “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.”
The Christian Catholic Church welcomed the song of the twelve days of Christmas as it made the faith and teachings of god memorable to the public as it used denominations of the teachings which others could use to educate.
So this year I hope that a greater understanding helps us to appreciate the history behind the song,in the time it was written. And I hope it will make you smile this Christmas when you’re singing this Carol.
All of us here at Thatcham Rotaract wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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