Whether you love it or hate it, the “12 Days of Christmas” song is a holiday staple. Sure, you might prefer belting out other Christmas songs, such as “Feliz Navidad” or Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” but there’s something about singing the “12 Days of Christmas” each year that makes you feel a little nostalgic. Even if you don’t know all the words, you’re likely able to remember an occasional verse. But, do you know what the “12 Days of Christmas” song represents or the hidden message behind the lyrics?
When the song mentions peculiar phrases such as, “two turtle doves,” your first approach might be to consider these as random phrases that mean nothing. To achieve a deeper understanding of each phrase, you have to start with the history of this song.
The song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an English Christmas carol. 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 young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the Church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
Each day of the “12 Days of Christmas” has a deeper and more meaningful meaning behind each phrase. To start, when the song mentions, “my true love gave to me,” the “true love” refers to God. God is our true love. The “gave to me” part is the church. God gave a lot of things to the church, which can be substituted as us.
The Partridge in a Pear Tree is Jesus Christ.
“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… a partridge in a pear tree.”
The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus Christ because the partridge is willing to sacrifice its life if necessary in order to save its young. Like quail, partridges build their nests on the ground which makes them very susceptible to predators. When predators come, the partridges will feign an injury to attempt to draw the predator away from the nest. In the process of doing this, the partridge will sometimes have to give up its own life to save its young. So, the pear tree represents the cross and the partridge represents Jesus. God’s first greatest gift to us was His Son, Jesus Christ.
The Two Turtle Doves are The Old and New Testaments.
“On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… two turtle doves.”
The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testaments, turtle doves were used as an offering to God. When Jesus was 40 days old, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to be redeemed at a temple. As an offering, they brought two turtle doves. The deeper meaning behind the two turtle doves are Joseph and Mary and their faithfulness to dedicate Jesus to the Lord.
The Three French Hens are Faith, Hope and Love.
“On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… three French hens.”
On the third day of Christmas, God gave us faith, hope and love – love being the greatest. On the third day, Jesus was resurrected, and because of his resurrection, we have salvation. In order to have that salvation, we must have faith. When God gave Jesus to us on Christmas day, this was because of His love for us.
The Four Calling Birds are the four gospels.
“On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… four calling birds.”
The four calling birds are the four gospel writers; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Just as calling birds have distinctive songs, the four gospel writers also have different perspectives on the story of Jesus. It’s all the same story, and all four are true, they are just different viewpoints. When we study the life of Jesus, we do not just study one point of view. We study Jesus’ life from all four gospels because they each have different outlooks. They all tell the same true story, but they have different perspectives, which is why they are called “calling birds.”
The Five Golden Rings are the first five books of the Old Testament.
“On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… five golden rings.”
The five golden rings are the first five books of the Old Testament, also known as the Torah, consisting of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah are the foundation of the Bible and were treated with great reverence and were even considered to be more valuable than gold! In the 16th century, golden rings were the most treasured and exquisite possessions that one could own. Therefore, the first five books of the Old Testament were known as the five golden rings.
The 6 Geese A-laying are the six days of creation.
“On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… six geese a-laying.”
The six geese a-laying are the six days of creation. In most cultures, eggs symbolize new life, rebirth and creation. On the sixth day, God created Man. Because God created us on the sixth day, we already had everything we needed created beforehand so it would be at our disposal.
The 7 Swans A-swimming are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
“On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… seven swans a-swimming.”
The seven swans a-swimming are the seven seven gifts of the Holy Spirit; Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leadership and Mercy. We have all seven gifts, but we have some to a greater degree than others.
The 8 Maids A-milking are the eight Beatitudes.
“On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… eight maids a-milking.”
The eight maids a-milking are the eight Beatitudes. The eight Beatitudes are from the Sermon on the Mount; the greatest sermon ever to be given, which was given by Jesus Christ.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The 9 Ladies Dancing are the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit.
“On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… nine ladies dancing.”
The nine ladies dancing are the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit; love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. The Fruits of the Spirit were written by the apostle Paul, and Paul tends to emphasize the first and the last things on a list. In this case, Paul chose to emphasize love and temperance. Love is the most important thing there. It was out of God’s love for us that made God give us Jesus. It is also love that motivates us to serve Him. The last thing on this list is temperance. Temperance is self-control. So many people have a love for God but just no self-control. To be faithful to God, we should have a very great love for Him.
The 10 Lords A-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
“On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… ten lords a-leaping.”
The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments. Lords are men in positions of authority who have the right to command people’s obedience. The Ten Commandments demand people’s obedience. These are not the ten suggestions, these are the Ten Commandments. These are the ten things that God commands you to obey.
- Thou shalt not have any gods before Me.
- Thou shalt not make any graven image.
- Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain.
- Thou shalt remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
- Thou shalt honor your father and mother.
- Thou shalt not murder.
- Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- Thou shalt not steal.
- Thou shalt not lie.
- Thou shalt not covet.
The 11 Pipers Piping are the eleven faithful Apostles.
“On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… eleven pipers piping.”
The eleven pipers piping are the 12 Apostles, minus Judas. These men were drawn to Jesus and they followed him. Jesus was piping, and the eleven faithful Apostles followed him. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the Apostles drew people to Jesus and to follow Jesus. In other words, follow the piper. So, there were eleven pipers piping.
The 12 Drummers Drumming are the 12 Doctrines of the Catholic Faith.
“On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… twelve drummers drumming.”
The twelve drummers drumming are the 12 Doctrines of the Catholic Faith. Drummers beat out a steady rhythm for those marching to follow and keep in step with. The 12 Doctrines of the Catholic Faith are given to help us keep in step. These are the things Christans should believe in and live their life in accordance with.
Article 1: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
Article 2: And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
Article 3: Who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
Article 4: He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
Article 5: He descended into hell. The third day he arose again from the dead.
Article 6: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
Article 7: He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Article 8: I believe in the Holy Spirit,
Article 9: the holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints,
Article 10: the forgiveness of sins,
Article 11: the resurrection of the body,
Article 12: And in life everlasting.
When you first glance at “The 12 Days of Christmas,” this may seem like an ordinary Christmas carol to you. Now that you know and understand the true Catholic meaning of this tune, you will be able to see the connection yourself.
By Sarah Tea ‘30, Staff Writer
