"" Writer's Wanderings: The 12 Days of Christmas

Monday, December 21, 2009

The 12 Days of Christmas

This is always a confusing song to sing at Christmas. It's always tough to remember if there's 8 maids milking or 9. Or was that 11 lords leaping or 12? It is important though. You see, the gifts are very symbolic:
A partridge in a pear tree: Jesus (who died on a wooden cross)
2 turtle doves: Old and New Testaments
3 french hens: faith, hope, love
4 calling birds: four gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
5 golden rings: the Pentatuch, the books of Moses or the Torah
6 geese a laying: six days of creation
7 swans a swimming: seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
8 maids a milking: beatitudes found in Matthew
9 ladies dancing: fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians
10 lords a leaping: ten commandments
11 pipers piping: the eleven faithful disciples
12 drummers drumming: the twelve points of the Apostle's Creed

If you put them all together there are 364 gifts. One for almost each day of the year! Guess this song is the "gift that keeps on giving." Sure beats the Jelly-of-the-Month Club!

No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...