The history on 12 Days of Christmas

[Frances Morey]

This info came as news to me. I had always wondered what the song was about,
and this seems plausible.
Frances

"12 days of Christmas" 
                     > 
Here is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled 
me.  What in the world do 
leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and 
especially the partridge who 
won't come out of the pear tree have to do with 
Christmas? 
                     > 
Today, I found out.  From 1558 until 1829, Roman 
Catholics in England were 
not permitted to practice their faith openly. 
Someone during that era wrote 
this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. 
It has two levels of 
meaning:  the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning 
known only to the members 
of their church.  Each element in the carol has a 
code word for a religious 
reality which the children could remember. 
                     > 
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. Two 
turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments. Three French 
hens stood for faith, hope and love. The 
four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, 
Mark, Luke and John. The 
five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the 
first five books of the Old 
Testament. The six geese a-laying stood for the six 
days of creation. Seven 
swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of 
the Holy Spirit: 
Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, 
Contribution, Leadership and Mercy. 
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes. 
Nine ladies dancing were 
the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit:  Love, Joy, 
Peace, Patience, Kindness, 
Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control. 
The ten lords a-leaping 
were the Ten Commandments. The eleven pipers piping 
stood for the eleven 
faithful disciples. The twelve drummers drumming 
symbolized the twelve points 
of belief in The Apostles' Creed. 
                     > 
So there is your history for today.  This knowledge 
was shared with me and I 
found it interesting and enlightening and now I know 
how that strange song 
became a Christmas Carol... so pass it on if you 
wish. 
                     > 
                     > 
                     ***************************************************** 
                     > 
FYI:  The following was pasted from 
'www.truthorfiction.com' 
                     > 
The song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is actually
Christian Doctrine in Code-Fiction!   
                     >     
Summary of eRumor: This email says that the 
popular Christmas song "The 
12 Days of Christmas" was actually written as a 
memory device for Christians 
to remember and recite doctrine.  It says that 
beginning in the 1500's, Catholics in  
England were not allowed to practice 
their faith openly, so 
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" became a secret
catechism.  Several 
suggestions are listed as to what doctrines the 
verses actually represented.     
                     >     
                     >     
The Truth:  TruthOrFiction.com has not found 
any historic or scholarly 
reference that supports this allegation.  None of 
the hundreds of emails or 
citations of this story on the net that we've seen 
includes any credible source.   
                     > 
On the other hand, there are several sources that 
list the song as being of 
probable French origin. The most notable is the 
prestigious New Oxford Book 
of Carols which not only cites the French roots of 
the song, but says it is 
based on a game that children would play on the 
Twelfth Night, the eve of 
Epiphany.  In the game, each child would have to try 
to remember and recite 
the objects that were said by a  previous child.  If 
successful, the child 
would add another object to the list for the next 
contestant to recite.  If 
not, the child dropped out.  The game would continue 
until there was a winner.   
                     > 
There are also other problems with the catechism 
theory.   The assumption 
behind the theory is that the song allowed Catholics 
to secretly embrace 
their beliefs behind the backs of non-Catholic 
Christian leaders during a 
time when being a practicing Catholic was against 
the law.  None of the 
doctrines said to be represented in the Twelve Days 
of Christmas, however, 
was different from the beliefs of Anglicans or 
Presbyterians.   There is also 
the question that if the song was that important for 
teaching or remembering 
doctrine, why was it associated only with Christmas? 

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