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Twelve Days of Christmas

On the (first) day of Christmas my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree

Repeat adding one of these lines each time

Two turtle doves
Three french hens
Four colly birds
Five gold rings
Six geese a-laying
Seven swans a-swimming
Eight maids a-milking
Nine ladies dancing
Ten lords a-leaping
Eleven pipers piping
Twelve drummers drumming

ending with

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming
Eleven pipers piping
Ten lords a-leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five gold rings
Four colly birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves and
A partridge in a pear tree

This 'urban legend' says that the song was written at a time when Roman Catholic worship was illegal in England and Catholics had to find covert ways of communicating their faith.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, the story goes, was written to contain the basic beliefs of Catholicism, masked in secular words.

A partridge in a pear tree.
Said to symbolise Jesus Christ, a mother partridge protecting her nestlings (Jesus's followers).
Two turtle doves.
The Old and the New Testaments.
Three French hens.
The Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity.
Four calling/colly birds.
The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Five gold rings.
The first five books of the Old Testament telling the story of man's fall from grace.
Six geese a laying.
The six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming.
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Eight maids a-milking.
The eight Beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing.
The nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Ten lords a-leaping.
The Ten Commandments.
Eleven pipers piping.
The eleven faithful disciples.
Twelve drummers drumming.
The twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

Unfortunately, there is no evidence that the carol was written for that purpose.

However, be it legend or not, this carol is sure useful in teaching and remembering the basics of our Christian Faith!

Origins or other carols can be found: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/christmas/carols_1.shtml

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