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A Christmas History Lesson
The Twelve Days of Christmas is one of the most famous Christmas
carols ever written. It has been sung for a great many years,
and is known the world over. To most it is a delightful hymn,
but it was originally created with a very serious intent. In
England between the years of 1558 and 1829, it was illegal to
practice Catholicism in public or private. It was essentially a
crime to be Catholic in England during those years.
The Twelve Days of Christmas was written to help preserve the
traditions of the Catholic faith during the years that
Catholicism was banned in England. The song is steeped in
symbolism, and the fact that it is so well known throughout the
world is a testament to the faith of the followers of the
Catholic doctrine. The symbols contained in the song are as
follows:
1st verse - "True Love" refers to God.
2nd verse - "2 Turtle Doves" refers to the Old and New
Testaments.
3rd verse - "3 French Hens" refers to Faith, Hope, and Charity.
4th verse - "4 Calling Birds" refers to the Four Gospels or the
Four Evangelists.
5th verse - "5 Golden Rings" refers to the first five Books of
the Old Testament.
6th verse - "6 Geese-a-laying" refers to the six days of
creation.
7th verse - "7 Swans-a-swimming" refers to the seven sacraments.
8th verse - "8 Maids-a-milking" refers to the eight beatitudes.
9th verse - "9 Ladies dancing" refers to the nine fruits of the
Holy Spirit.
10th verse - "10 Lords-a-leaping" refers to the Ten Commandments.
11th verse - "11 Pipers piping" refers to the eleven faithful
apostles.
12th verse - "12 Drummers drumming" refers to the twelve points
of the Apostle's creed.
I love this song. It is, by far, my favorite Christmas carol. I
had no idea about the symbols contained in the song, until I
googled the song lyrics one afternoon. I find it very
interesting that a song we all know so well could contain so
many hidden meanings. I would never have guessed that it was
anything more than lovely Christmas carol. It's always nice to
learn something new, especially about the wonderful celebration
of Christmas. I hope you learned something, too. Merry Christmas
to all, and to all a good night!
About the author:
Catherine Spelling absolutely loves spending Christmas with
family and friends. When she is not counting down the days until
Christmas, she writes for
http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com/ - an online
resources for all things relating to Christmas and decorations,
with information about Garland, Ornaments, Holiday Decorations and more.
Catherine Spelling
R.O.S.E. Christmas | Christmas for Everyone |