I'm pretty sure all of you know this song right???
Well, tsktsktsk & shame on you if you don't! =P
Actually, I could copy & paste the lyrics here but it's just too damn long that I'm sure pretty much none of you will bother reading it. Butt.. My purpose here today is not to introduce you to some new song.. On the contrary, I'm here to share with you the
TRUE MEANING behind the 12 glorious days of Christmas:
"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..."
The true love here doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, but it refers to God Himself
And.. The "me" who receives the presents refer to every baptized person on earth
"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree"
(btw, if you don't know what the gifts are, refer to the picture above to see it)
In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge because she would feign injury to decoy a predator away from her nestlings. She was even willing to die for them.
The tree is the symbol of the fall of the human race through the sin of Adam and Eve. It is also the symbol of its redemption by Jesus Christ on the tree of the Cross"On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
two turtle doves..."
The "two turtle doves" refers to the Old and New Testaments"On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
three french hens..."
The "three French hens" stand for faith, hope and love—the three gifts of the Spirit that abide (1 Corinthians 13)
"On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
four calling birds..."
The "four calling birds" refers to the four evangelists who wrote the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—which sing the song of salvation through Jesus Christ"On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
five golden rings..."
The "five golden rings" represents the first five books of the Bible, also called the Jewish Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy"On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
six geese a-laying..."
The "six geese a-laying" is the six days of creation"On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
seven swans a-swimming..."
The "seven swans a-swimming" refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord
"On the eigth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
eight maids a-milking..."
The "eight maids a milking " reminded children of the eight beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the MountBlessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are the meek, for they shall posses the land
Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
"On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
nine ladies dancing..."
The "nine ladies dancing" were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control"On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
ten lords a-leaping..."
The "ten lords a-leaping" represents the Ten Commandments
"On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
eleven pipers piping..."
The "eleven pipers piping" refers to the eleven faithful apostles
"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
twelve drummers drumming..."
The ‘twelve drummers drumming" were the twelve points of belief expressed in the Apostles’ Creed: belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that he sits at the right hand of the father and will come again, the resurrection of the dead and life everlastingSo, there you have it!
The true meaning behind the "12 Days of Christmas"
Nextime you sing it, bear in mind that it isn't just another Christmas carol [=
Merry Belated Christmas
Happy Belated Boxing Day
