News and Events: 12 Days of Christmas

Last week I mentioned that the 12 Days of Christmas begins after Christmas, not before.  But did you know that the Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was actually written to teach young Catholics the faith?

It was written in England during a time when it was forbidden to practise the Catholic faith.  During that time in the history of the Church in England you could be arrested and sentanced to death if you had something in writing that proved you were a Catholic. The the song was written as a memory aid to help the people learn and remember the teachings of the Church.

The song begins, "One the first day of Christmas by true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree."  Of course the first day of Christmas is the birth of Jesus.  So the "true love" refers to God, the 'me' refers to every baptized person.  The partridge in the pear tree is Jesus.

The other verses following refer to different tenets of the faith:
2 Turtle Doves represent the Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens represnt Faith Holy and Charity
4 Call Birds represent the four Gospels
5 Golden RIngs represent the first five books of the Old Testament
6 Geese A laying represent the six days of creation
7 Swans a swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven Sacraments
8 Mais a milking represent the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing represent the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A leaping represent the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping represent the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming represent the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed