I received an email about advent from Christianbook.com, a website that I get quite a few of my books. It was an excerpt from "A Family Advent: Keeping the Savior in the Season". I wanted to share this little fun fact with you b/c I thought it was really interesting.
"Did you ever wonder what in the world all the strange characters in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" have to do with Christmas? What's with all of the birds and leaping lords? It's actually more than a silly song—it's a secret code!
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith. In fact, being Catholic was a crime! So to preserve their teaching and doctrine, someone wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has 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.
* A partridge in a pear tree represented Jesus Christ.
* Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
* Three French hens stood for faith, hope, and love.
* Four calling birds were the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
* Five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
* Six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
* Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophesying, serving, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership, and mercy; it also represents the seven sacraments: baptism, Eucharist (or Communion), reconciliation, confirmation, marriage, holy orders, and anointing of the sick.
* 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.
* Eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
* Twelve drummers drumming were symbolic of the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
So "The Twelve Days of Christmas" isn't just a silly song after all!"
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