OK, I confess… Oftentimes I’m guilty of *deleting* forwarded e-mails without reading them. HOWEVER, I occasionally make exceptions. Today was one of those days. Consider this a Fwd: from me to you!
Fwd: The 12 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 a partridge in a pear tree have to do with Christmas?
This week, I found out.
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 youngCatholics. 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.-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.-
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old
Testament.-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit
–Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit–Love, Joy, Peace,
Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the
Apostles’ Creed.So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a
Christmas Carol…
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