The 12 days of Christmas

Based on a popular Christmas carol more than a decade ago, I did a piece outlining holiday food responsible for the expected end-of-year weight gain, the 12 pounds of Christmas.  This time let’s get into the origin of this intriguing and somewhat strange song. 

My Don Bosco high school batchmate Jun Paraguya shared in our chat group how the song “The 12 Days of Christmas” came to be.  To quote him, “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?”  The lyrics indeed are confusing.

Scholars of the Catholic faith say of that time when religious persecution was the norm and code words were used to disguise the teachings of the faith.  This happened in England from 1558 to 1829.  Someone from this period wrote this carol to teach catechism to young Catholics, whose lyrics have a surface meaning and a hidden meaning known only to members of the church.

The first day of Christmas is December 25 and the last day is January 5.  For hundreds of years, Christmas holidays did not begin until Christmas eve and don’t end until Epiphany, January 6, commemorating the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus.  Thus 12 days.

In the book “Handbook of Catholic Sacramentals” by Ann Ball, the first line on the carol which says ‘true love’ is Jesus Christ who was born on Christmas Day.  The two turtle doves were the Old and the New Testaments.  The three French hens represent faith, hope and love.   Four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Luke, Mark and John.

Five golden rings stood for the first five books of the Old Testament, describing man’s sinfulness and God’s love for us by sending a Savior.  Six geese a-laying is for the six days of creation.  Seven swans a-swimming are the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit – Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.

Eight maids a-milking are the eight beatitudes, statements of characteristics and blessing which are part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.   Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit – Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Mildness, Fidelity, Modesty and Chastity.

Ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.  Eleven pipers piping represents the eleven faithful apostles.  The twelve drummers drumming symbolizes the twelve points of belief in the Apostle’s Creed.

The next time we hear this carol, let’s not think of the silliness of the lyrics but of its hidden meanings.

Another Bosconian batchmate, Rod Padilla, had his mind messed up with a different Christmas song “I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus” until years later when he realized that Santa was his father.

A blessed and meaningful Christmas to all.