The 12 Days of Christmas Song!

Great Bible Study, Activity, and Take Home Gift.

Here are a few things you may not know about the song and the season.

What are the 12 days of Christmas?

The 12 days of Christmas is the period in Christian theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings’ Day). The four weeks preceding Christmas are collectively known as Advent, which begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on December 24.

Some families choose to mark the 12-day period by observing the feast days of various saints (including St. Stephen on December 26) and planning daily Christmas-related activities, but for many, things go back to business as usual after December 25.

“The 12 Days of Christmas” is also a Christmas carol in which the singer brags about all the cool gifts they received from their “true love” during the 12 days of Christmas. Each verse builds on the previous one, serving as a really effective way to annoy family members on road trips.

The lyrics to “The 12 Days of Christmas” have changed over the years

The version most people are familiar with today begins with this verse:

On the first day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me

a partridge in a pear tree.

The song then adds a gift for each day, building on the verse before it, until you’re reciting all 12 gifts together:

Day 2: two turtle doves

Day 3: three French hens

Day 4: four calling birds

Day 5: five gold rings

Day 6: six geese a-laying

Day 7: seven swans a-swimming

Day 8: eight maids a-milking

Day 9: nine ladies dancing

Day 10: 10 lords a-leaping

Day 11: 11 pipers piping

Day 12: 12 drummers drumming

In any case, the song most of us are familiar with today comes from an English composer named Frederic Austin; in 1909, he set the melody and lyrics (including changing “colly” to “calling”) and added as his own flourish the drawn-out cadence of “five go-oldrings.”

This next section is to go home in a gift bag! -Fun party gift….

The song was not written primarily on Christianity principles, but it’s fun to use at a dinner party and/or for a fun Bible activity! Here is a short review for you….

A popular theory that’s made the internet rounds is that the lyrics to “The 12 Days of Christmas” are coded references to Christianity; it posits that the song was written to help Christians learn and pass on the tenets of their faith while avoiding persecution. Under that theory, the various gifts break down as follows,

Stocking Stuffers……..

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments (pear cup) (Bible Marker)

3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues

(Chicken Noodle)

4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists (Trail mix)

5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch,” which gives the history of man’s fall from grace (lifesavers)

6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation (candy filled egg)

7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments (marshmallow treat)

8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes (milk duds)

9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit (twinkle)

10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments

(White Cheddar popcorn) & (10 commandments bookmarker)

11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles (Hot Chocolate)

12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed (Candy Cane)

The partridge in the pear tree, naturally, represents Jesus Christ.

(Bible Study) Put in groups with items from above list! Study, Sing, then eat!

Lyrics for 12 Days of Christmas: Meaning of Each Gift

1. On the First Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me:

A Partridge in a Pear Tree.

The partridge

in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on the first day of Christmas. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge, the only bird that will die to protect its young.

2. On the Second Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me

Two Turtledoves.

These twin birds represent the Old and New Testaments. So in this gift, the singer finds the complete story of the Christian faith and God’s plan for the world. The doves are the biblical roadmap that is available to everyone.

3. On the Third Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me:

Three French Hens.

These birds represent faith, hope, and love. This gift hearkens back to 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter written by the Apostle Paul.

4. On the Fourth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me:

Four Calling Birds.

One of the easiest facets of the song’s code to figure out, these fowl are the four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

5. On the Fifth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me:

Five Gold Rings.

The gift of the rings represents the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch.

6. On the Sixth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me:

Six Geese a-Laying.

These lyrics can be traced back to the first story found in the Bible. Each egg is a day in creation, a time when the world was “hatched” or formed by God.

7. On the Seventh Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me:

Seven Swans a-Swimming.

It would take someone quite familiar with the Bible to identify this gift. Hidden in the code are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and compassion. As swans are one of the most beautiful and graceful creatures on earth, they would seem to be a perfect symbol for the spiritual gifts.

8. On the Eighth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me:

Eight Maids-a-Milking.

As Christ came to save even the lowest of the low, this gift represents the ones who would receive his word and accept his grace. Being a milkmaid was about the worst job one could have in England during this period; this code conveyed that Jesus cared as much about servants as he did those of royal blood. The eight who were blessed included the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

9. On the Ninth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me:

Nine Ladies Dancing.

These nine dancers were really the gifts known as the fruit of the Spirit. The fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

10. On the Tenth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me:

Ten Lords a-leaping.

This is probably the easiest gift to understand. As lords were judges and in charge of the law, this code for the Ten Commandments was fairly straightforward to Catholics.

11. On the Eleventh Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me:

Eleven Pipers Piping.

This is almost a trick question, as most think of the disciples in terms of the dozen. But when Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, there were only eleven men who carried out the gospel message.

12. On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me:

Twelve Drummers Drumming.

The final gift is tied directly to the Catholic Church. The drummers are the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed. “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.”