THE HIDDEN MEANING OF THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

 

Everyone is familiar with the famous Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and we have all at some time happily sung along to it.

But delightful though it is it believed that it had a more serious purpose when it was first written and that it was certainly much more than a repetitious piece of nonsense.

It is said it came about at a time when the Catholics in northern Europe were prevented from practicing their faith openly or otherwise by law and especially In England during the years of 1558 to 1829 it was to all intents and purposes a crime to BE a Catholic.

So "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as a kind of Underground Catechism.

In fact it was one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith.

In short it was a memory aid at a time when to be caught with anything in written form indicating adherence to the Catholic faith could lead to imprisonment or even death.

The contained hidden meanings for example the “true love” mentioned in the song in fact refers to God.

While the songs gifts hide the meanings to the teachings of the faith.

The "me" who receives the presents symbolizes every baptized person and a partridge in a pear tree refers to Jesus Christ and the two turtle doves are The Old and New Testaments.
The three French Hens are Faith, Hope and Charity, the three great Theological Virtues
the four Calling Birds are the Four Gospels and the five Golden Rings, The first Five Books of the Old Testament.

The six Geese A-laying are the six days of creation while seven Swans A-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments.
The eight Maids A-milking are the eight beatitudes with nine Ladies Dancing representing the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit.
the ten Lords A-leaping are the ten commandments and the eleven Pipers Piping stand for the eleven faithful apostles and last by no means least twelve drummers
drumming represent the twelve doctrinal points in the Apostle's Creed.

 

This may be fact, or it may be fiction but I know which I would like it to be.