You can’t sing The Twelve Days of Christmas without smiling. Its references from the  sublime “swans a-swimming” to the merry “lords a-leaping” keep us in a festive mood. However, the early Christian Church did not view these twelve images as trivial; each was viewed as signifying a spiritual truth.

The First Day of Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth. And the Last Day is the celebration of King’s Day or Epiphany—the day the Magi from the Orient (or Wise Men from the East) bowed before the two-year-old Christ Child and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Over the years, different melodies have been attached to the words we sing. The standard tune we sing today dates from 1909. The English words were a code used by the British clerics in much the same way that Jesus used parables. Some listeners would understand the story within a story and some would not.

Let’s examine the meaning of each day’s symbol.

1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree represents Jesus, God’s Son and his protection over us.
2. Two Turtledoves represent the two Testaments of the Holy Bible, the Old and the New.
3. Three French Hens represent the Holy Trinity—God Three in One—the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. It also refers to 1 Corinthians 13 and the qualities Christ’s followers are to exemplify: faith, hope, and love.
4. Four Calling Birds represent the four Gospels (Good News)—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
5. Five Golden Rings represent the first five books of the Holy Bible’s Old Testament—the Hebrew Tanakh or Torah and the Greek Pentateuch, namely Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
6. Six Geese a-Laying represent the six days of Creation by God as narrated in Genesis 1:1-31—1^st Creation of the heavens and the earth, day and night. 2^nd Creation of the sky and the seas. 3^rd Creation of land and its plants. 4^th Creation of the sun, moon, and stars. 5^th Creation of fish and birds. 6^th Creation of land animals and humankind both male and female. Humankind God fashioned in his own image.
7. Seven Swans a-Swimming represent the six Spiritual Gifts as enumerated in the 11^th Chapter of Isaiah—wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude (might, strength), knowledge, fear of the Lord. And the seventh was included in the Vulgate or Latin translation of the Bible during the Middle Ages; it is piety (personal holiness or devotion).
8. Eight Maids-a-Milking represent the Eight Beatitudes from Matthew 5:3-10—the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
9. Nine Ladies Dancing represent The Fruits of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23—1^st Love, 2^nd Joy, 3^rd Peace, 4^th Patience, 5^th Kindness, 6^th Goodness, 7^th Faithfulness, 8^th Gentleness, and 9^th Self-Control.
10. Ten Lords a-Leaping represent The Ten Commandments as found in Exodus 20:3-17—1^st You shall have no other gods before me. 2^nd You shall not make for yourself an image . . . [and] You shall not bow down to them or worship them. 3^rd You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. 4^th Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. 5^th Honor your father and your mother. 6^th You shall not murder. 7^th You shall not commit adultery. 8^th You shall not steal. 9^th You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 10^th You shall not covet.
11. Eleven Pipers Piping represent the 11 Faithful Disciples as enumerated in Matthew 10:2-4—Simon (whom Jesus renamed Peter), Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Thaddaeus, and another Simon.
12. Twelve Drummers Drumming represent the Apostles’ Creed and its twelve doctrinal points—1^st Belief in Father God, Creator of All. 2^nd Belief in Jesus, God’s Son. 3^rd Belief that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary. 4^th Belief that Jesus Suffered, was Crucified, Died, was Buried. 5^th Belief that Jesus descended into the abode of the dead; on the third day rose again from the dead. 6^th Belief that Jesus Ascended into Heaven and is Seated at the Right Hand of God The Father Almighty. 7^th Belief that Jesus Will Return to Judge the Living and the Dead. 8^th Belief in The Holy Spirit. 9^th Belief in The Holy Catholic Church (or for other Christian denominations belief in the Church as an encompassing Body of Believers) and The Communion of Saints (the spiritual bond among believers). 10^th Belief in the Forgiveness of Sins. 11^th Belief that the Human Body will Be Brought Back to Life. 12^th Belief in An Everlasting Life (a life that never ends).

Now that you know the meaning behind the words to The Twelve Days of Christmas, I hope the next time you sing them they will bring everlasting joy into your heart!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-Dhbq8ED0Q

A Christmas Carol to Bring Smiles and Reflection
Connie Carlisle Polley, 2025
ConnieCarlislePolley.com
NonnyDay.com

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