The History of The Twelve Days of Christmas

Between 1558 and 1829, it was illegal to be Catholic in England. Catholics were not allowed to practice their faith publicly or privately, as they were likely to be punished or put to death. As a means of teaching the faith to young Catholics, the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was created. Using hidden messages, the song taught the important elements of the Catholic faith. For example, the “true love” referred to in the song is a reference to God, and the “me” is any baptized person. All of the “twelve days” have deeper meanings, as is discussed below.

1^st Day of Christmas - “Partridge in a Pear Tree”
The first day of Christmas is a reference to Jesus Christ’s death; Christ is the partridge who died on a tree.

2^nd Day of Christmas - “Two Turtle Doves”
The Old and New Testament are being referenced here. The Old Testament is all Biblical doctrine prior to the birth of Christ.

3^rd Day of Christmas - “Three French Hens”
Faith, hope and love are the “three French hens”. Commonly used as a Bible verse at weddings, the three refer to 1 Corinthians 13:13, which states, “So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love”.

4^th Day of Christmas - “Four Calling Birds”
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the four gospels of the New Testament, and in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” are the “four calling birds”.

5^th Day of Christmas - “Five Golden Rings”
The first five books of the Old Testament, also called the Torah, are:

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy

6^th Day of Christmas - “Six Geese-a-Laying”
Represents the six days of creation by God. In Genesis, God took six days to create the Heavens and the Earth and then rested on day seven.

7^th Day of Christmas - “Seven Swans-a-Swimming”
In Catholicism, there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, given to us during the Sacrament of Confirmation. The gifts are:

Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Fortitude
Knowledge
Piety
Fear of the Lord