A History Lesson Christmas

A History Lesson Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas is one of the most famous Christmas songs ever written. He sang for many years and is known worldwide . For most , it is a beautiful song , but was originally created in a very serious purpose . In England between 1558 and 1829 , it was illegal to practice Catholicism in public or in private. It was essentially a crime to be a Catholic in England during these years.

The Twelve Days of Christmas was written to help preserve the traditions of the Catholic faith during the years that Catholicism was banned in England. The song is full of symbolism , and the fact that it is so well known around the world is a testament to the faith of the followers of the Catholic doctrine. The symbols in the song are :

-Verse 1 : - " True Love " refers to God.
-Verse 2 : - "two turtle doves " refers to the Old and New Testaments.
-Verse 3 : - " 3 French Hens " refers to Faith, Hope and Charity .
-Verse 4 : - " 4 Calling Birds " refers to the four Gospels and the four evangelists.
-Verse 5 : - " five golden rings " refers to the first five books of the Old Testament.
-Verse 6 : - " six geese -a- laying " is the six days of creation .
-Verse 7 : - " 7 Swans - a swimming pool " means the seven sacraments .
-Verse 8 : - " 8 Maids - a draft " means the eight beatitudes .
-Verse 9 : - " 9 Ladies Dancing" means the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
-Verse 10 : - "10 Lords - a jump " refers to the Ten Commandments.
-Verse 11 : - " 11 Pipers piping " refers to the eleven faithful apostles .
-Verse 12 : - " 12 batteries of percussion " means the twelve points of the Apostles' Creed .

I love this song . It is by far my favorite Christmas carol . I had no idea about the symbols in the song, until I Google search the words of the song, one afternoon. I find it interesting that the song we all know so well could contain many hidden meanings. I never thought it was more than beautiful Christmas song. It is always good to learn something new, especially about the wonderful Christmas celebration . I hope you learned something. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night !