As I remember back to many of our Christmas gatherings, prior to Covid when when we were able to do something like that, we would  enjoy singing an old favorite Christmas song titled “The Twelve Days of Christmas”.  Everyone would get assigned a particular day to sing. Hopefully someone with an amazing voice would get the fifth day of Christmas,  “five golden rings”.

The 12 days of Christmas is the period in our Catholic/Christian belief that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men.   The first day of Christmas begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings’ Day).  There are many who think it’s really a song for the 12 days prior to Christmas but this is actually not the case since as Catholics, that period is part of the season of Advent, which is a time to prepare for the coming of the Christ child.

The history of the 12 days song is a bit sketchy as not a lot was written about it.  The best scenario have the words to it first appearing in a 1780 children’s book called Mirth With-out Mischief.  There have been various renditions made on the words from this first appearance in 1780 until the song that we sing today. Through the years, it has been played as a memory game as well as other various family activities created around the words. In 1909 an English composer named Frederic Austin created the melody and changed some of the lyrics to what we all know today as The Twelve Days of Christmas.  

As stated above, the twelve days started on Christmas day ( this past Friday)  and continues up to the Epiphany. If you’re looking for a Christian perspective for this traditional song, it has been stated by many religious writers that the twelve days of gifts are symbols for catechetical learning. There isn’t any factual documentation that this song was used as a Catholic tool to remember the  tenets of Catholicism, but it does make for a great story. So, if you’re feeling the after-Christmas blues, then let’s begin with the first verse.

On the first day of Christmas, we sing of the “Partridge in a Pear Tree”. The single Partridge represents God, the Alpha and the Omega (the song begins and ends with the Partridge in a Pear tree).  Saturday was the second day of Christmas where we sing of “Two Turtle Doves”.  The two turtle doves represent the old and new Testament of the bible. The bible is the complete story of the Judeo-Christian faith and provides us with a map of how we might aspire to live our life. If you’re like me, a good recommendation of where to start helps, so if you’re just starting to immerse yourself in the bible, a great one to start with is: The Catholic Study Bible, New American, now in its third edition.  This bible contains the translation that is used in the mass.  If you are looking to expand on your bible selections this link will provide a list of numerous other choices and what makes them different from each other.  The important message is, to start.

“On the third day of Christmas (Sunday) my true love gave to me, Three French Hens.” The birds represent the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity.   This year has certainly challenged me to strengthen my Faith, Hope and Charity, as I’ve (along with everyone else) have had to endure the pandemic.  Faith and Hope have been needed each and everyday.  Faith that God is here with me during this time and hope that there is an end to the isolation, death and hardships endured by so many.  It is through this faith and hope and seeing the pain and loss that drives me to practice charity, finding ways to help others that can be done from a distance!  Not always so easy, but where there’s a will there’s a way.  This Christmas season has provided me an opportunity for growth in these virtues.

On the Fourth day of Christmas (Monday), my true love gave to me, “Four Calling Birds”. If you’re following along in the spiritual meaning of the song, I’m sure you’ve guessed that this refers to the four gospels in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John . The interesting part about the the Calling Birds, is that in the early beginnings of the poem/song, it was actually a “Collie” or “Colly Bird.” Collie meaning black, so it referred to four blackbirds. As the song aged, it was  changed to “Calling birds,” which I prefer as it relates  better with the spiritual interpretation. One might feel it’s meant as a call for us to read the four gospels in the new testament. What a great way to start the new year. Pick a gospel and start reading. Happy reading—

On the Fifth day of Christmas (Tuesday), my true love gave to me, “Five Golden Rings!!” Now we move to the Old Testament and the rings represent the first five books of the Old Testament, referred to as the “Pentateuch,” which gives the history of man’s fall from grace. Pentateuch comes from two Greek words that mean, five books:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. More reading, tis the season, Merry Christmas!

“On the Sixth day of Christmas (Wednesday), my true love gave to me, Six Geese a Laying.” The six geese represent the six days of creation, recognizing that the 7th day was a day of rest from all that had been created. The six geese a “laying” gives us the symbol of the egg which in many parts of the world, is seen as a symbol of new life. How beautifully this fits with the “creation” story of the bible describing the creation of new life on earth by God. This sixth day of Christmas verse is a reminder to me to appreciate the beauty of this world, in spite of all the pandemic issues, political unrest and feeling of loss from not being  able to be with friends and family.  A reminder to enjoy the beautiful sunsets, flowering trees and plants, animal life and so much more. Now is the present and it’s called the present, as today is my present from God.  A nice reprieve from the frantic commercial hustle and bustle side of Christmas. And now is a time to be thankful for all of God’s gifts.  Merry Christmas!

The next 6 days of Christmas will be coming in the near future but for now  it might be a good time to enjoy that day of rest and listen to the “Twelve Days of Christmas”.