December 24, 2021 - Pastor Message
04/26/2024“On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree” (THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS).
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” is one of the most popular carols of this festive season, and has been for centuries, but how many of us know the history and meaning of this beloved Christmas classic? For starters, why does the song say there are twelve days of Christmas? In our experience, the Christmas season runs from Christmas Day through the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which is celebrated the Sunday after the feast of Epiphany. This means that the length of the Christmas season can vary, depending on what day of the week December 25th is (this year Christmas has sixteen days). This was not always the case, however. In the 18th century, when the song was composed, the Christmas season ended with the feast of Epiphany, which was celebrated January 6th, meaning that there were always twelve days of Christmas.
But what about the somewhat strange gifts that mark each verse? These are actually religious symbols that were used to teach Catholic children about their faith. Catholics in England were persecuted and forced to practice their faith in secret at the time the carol was written, and so the anonymous author used these cryptic symbols to represent teachings of the Catholic Church. The meaning of each symbolic gift is as follows:
- Partridge in a pear tree = Jesus, who gives his life on a tree for us
- Turtle doves = the two Testaments of the Bible, Old & New
- French hens = the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love
- Calling birds = the four Gospels
- Golden rings = the first five books of the Old Testament, collectively called the Pentateuch or the Law
- Geese a laying = the six days of creation (God rested on the seventh)
- Swans a swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Maids a milking = the eight Beatitudes
- Ladies dancing = the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
- Lords a leaping = the Ten Commandments
- Pipers piping = the eleven faithful Apostles
- Drummers drumming = the twelve truths of our faith proclaimed in the Apostles’ Creed
So merry second day of Christmas to you all! Throughout this blessed season, whatever day it is, celebrate each one to the full, and whenever you hear or sing “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, remember it’s history and meaning, rooted in our Catholic faith. For more information, please see The History of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' (catholicnewsagency.com).
Fr. Marc Stockton
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