Nancy's Notes

Probably most of us think of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as a novelty song. A lot of people even link this old Christmas carol with other nonsensical numbers such as “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” or “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” However, even though “The Twelve Days of Christmas” makes little sense to us now, it was once one of the most important teaching tools of the Catholic church.

Beginning in the sixteenth century, British Catholics were forbidden by law to practice their faith. The only legal Christian denomination in the British Empire was the Church of England. Any Catholics who spoke or wrote of their faith were arrested and tried under the laws of the time. If their violation was considered severe enough, they were either hung or drawn and quartered. Children as well as adults were subject to the same laws; age did not prevent the state from dealing harshly with even a young practitioner of the faith. In the face of persecution and death, millions refused to abandon the religion of their ancestors. So, much like the early Christians in Rome, Catholics in England went underground. They held secret masses, studied their doctrine behind closed doors, and hid all signs of their faith at home. They were almost a secret society.

One of the most severe problems the Catholic underground faced was how to teach their children the doctrines of the church. Since writing down anything dealing with the Catholic faith could cost both writer and reader their lives, the messages of doctrine and faith had to be reproduced in secret code. One of the most successful codes ever invented by the underground church during that period was a Christmas carol that on the surface appeared to make no sense at all. Ironically, the song became very popular and found its way into pubs, concert halls, and even the royal palace. Few people knew that the meaning behind the song’s lyrics included some of the most important elements of doctrine of the outlawed Catholic church.

When it first became popular, many in England thought that the meaning of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” could be found not in the presents, but in the days. Yet, nothing could have been further from the truth. The days were a simple mark of the time between Christ’s birth and the Epiphany, the time when the wise men came to honor the newly-born king. The secret meaning for Catholic boys and girls was found not in the twelve days, but in the very special gifts, and as the children sang, they weren’t to think of the actual gifts, but of something much different.

Every Catholic child was taught that only pure and true love came from God. So from the beginning of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” each singer understood that this song was about a heavenly love, not about a boy’s crush on a girl. The importance of Christ’s death and resurrection was the anchor to the faith—and to the song—as it is repeated with each new verse. The single partridge in a pear tree represents courage and devotion. A mother partridge lures enemies away from her defenseless chicks in order to protect them. Just as she sacrifices her own life for her children, so did Christ for us. Add to that image a pear tree that symbolizes the cross and, together, this first gift represents the ultimate gift given by the Babe born on Christmas Day.

The second gift, “two turtle doves,” stands for both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

“Three French hens,” in the sixteenth century, were very expensive, and would have been a meal fit for a king. In the song, the hens symbolize the expensive gifts brought by the three wisemen.

The “four calling birds” stand for the authors of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

In keeping with the biblical theme, the “five gold rings” stand for the five Old Testament books that Christians knew as “the law of Moses,” and Jews refer to as the “Torah.” These gifts recognize man’s fall from grace due to sin, and more importantly, that a Savior would come to offer salvation and a path back to God.

“Six geese a-laying” are symbols of the six days God used to create the world. Just as eggs are the symbol for new life and creation, so the geese laying eggs presents the whole story of God moving his hand over the void to create life.

“Seven swans a-swimming” speaks of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts—prophesy, service, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, and mercy—are linked to swans, birds considered by many to be the most graceful and beautiful fowl in England.

“Eight maids a-milking” represents the common man whom Christ had come to serve and save. At the time, no job in England was lower than working in a barn. For female servants to be used in this way indicated that she was of little worth to her master. Catholic children were taught that Christ served people without regard to status, race, sex, or creed. The number eight in this verse also represents the beatitudes listed in Matthew 5:3-10—blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the hungry, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemaker, and the righteous.

In the verse that follows, the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are hidden by the image of “nine ladies dancing.” This dance teaches the real joy and rewards of serving Christ.

“Ten lords a-leaping” represents the Ten Commandments. A “lord” was supposed to be a just and honorable man and the final voice of law in his domain. So ten lords would represent the Ten Commandments God gave his people through Moses.

There were twelve original disciples, but in the end, one of them did not embrace Christ or his message of salvation. The “eleven pipers piping” thus serves as the image of the eleven apostles who took the message of Christ’s life and resurrection to the world.

The final gift, “twelve drummers drumming,” represents a very important confessional taught to all Catholics, the “The Apostles’ Creed,” the confession contains a dozen different elements. The drum was probably used as a symbol of the pace or rhythm that this creed gives each believer’s daily walk with the Lord.

Four hundred years after the song was written, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” has been recorded and performed hundreds of thousands of times; yet it remains a fun song that few can sing without laughing at its unusual message and the air capacity it takes to get through it. Perhaps the fun that masked its original intent is why “The Twelve Days of Christmas” has survived for so long, as well as why the Catholic church survived oppression in merry old England.

Excerpts from “Stories behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas” by Ace Collins, 2001