Origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas [An Underground Catechism]

Catholic Information Network.org ^ | 12-17-05 | Fr. Hal Stockert

[Salvation]

 

 

 

ORIGIN OF
"THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS"

An Underground Catechism

You're all familiar with the Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" I think. To most it's a delightful nonsense rhyme set to music. But it had a quite serious purpose when it was written.

It is a good deal more than just a repetitious melody with pretty phrases and a list of strange gifts.

Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law - private OR public. It was a crime to BE a Catholic.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith - a memory aid, when to be caught with anything in *writing* indicating adherence to the Catholic faith could not only get you imprisoned, it could get you hanged, or shortened by a head - or hanged, drawn and quartered, a rather peculiar and ghastly punishment I'm not aware was ever practiced anywhere else. Hanging, drawing and quartering involved hanging a person by the neck until they had almost, but not quite, suffocated to death; then the party was taken down from the gallows, and disembowelled while still alive; and while the entrails were still lying on the street, where the executioners stomped all over them, the victim was tied to four large farm horses, and literally torn into five parts - one to each limb and the remaining torso.

The songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so..."

The other symbols mean the following:

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

--Fr. Hal Stockert  12/17/95

P.S. It has come to our attention that this tale is made up of both fact and fiction. Hopefully it will be accepted in the spirit it was written. As an encouragement to people to keep their faith alive, when it is easy, and when any outward expressions of their faith could mean their life. Today there are still people living under similar conditions, may this tale give them courage, and determination to use any creative means at their disposal to keep their faith alive.

Courtesy of Catholic Information Network (CIN)
Please e-mail your comments to: Webmaster at CIN

We recognize the following sites for their services:
Art Today | Christian Classics | Christus Rex | Hermanoleón Clipart | Vatican Website | ZENIT - The World Seen From Rome

Copyright © 1987-2003 Catholic Information Network (CIN) - Updated: 12-26-03

[lupie]

In the not-so-tolerant past, music and poetry were often used as media of expression for ideas that were not in fashionable with the contemporary powers that be. Mother Goose rhymes were disguised political commentaries of their day. The Twelve Days of Christmas was written along similar lines...

If this is really true - then why was much of the NT scripture not written in "mother goose rhyme" fashion in some of the more intense days of persecution for the church in the Roman world when believers were used as torches or fed to the lions? I am personally glad that I don't have to sing some silly little ditty in order to disguise Truth, because I know that He whose Truth it is says that we are to simply we proclaim Him. In Spirit and in Truth - not in nursery rhymes!

[Salvation]

Just the thought of hearing that makes me glad that I don't frequent the old news sources. Ick!

[Salvation]

**The story goes something like this: On Jan 6, when the three wise men are on their way to Bethlehem, if your doors are marked, they will pass through your house and give their blessing to your family and each room that is marked. Is it true? Will they actually pass through your house? I don't know but its a wonderful custom and IF it is true, well, we can never have too many blessings!**

I have heard of marking the initials. But the part about the Three Wise Men passing through your household is new to me. Guess I'll have to look for it.

[Salvation]

Thank you for the history lesson! I knew it was true!

[Salvation]

I thought that you were doubting the persecuting of Catholics. I understand how the song could have or might not have referred to secret inferences.

[Pio]

"It seems we all need to look back into history and see if Catholics were really prosecuted during these times. That, as far as I am aware, has not been researched on this particular thread."

Are you serious?

[Salvation]

BTTT on the First Day of Christmas.

[Salvation]

And I suppose there were never any signs in the Unitied States:
"Catholics Need Not Apply"????