The Twelve Days of Christmas

I've always been intrigued by history and the "history of things." The old carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" has fascinated me and has been endless fun with our three kiddos when they were small. Like some other songs, hymns, carols, and such, the song has an interesting backstory. As I have read about it, I've been impressed by the fact that the meaning depends on who you are and where you live!

The twelve days of Christmas are also called Twelvetide in some places, and Christmastide in others. The very first day of Twelvetide is December 25, and it's all about celebrating the birth of Christ. During these twelve days, there are all kinds of celebrations: some religious, some secular.  This period of time has been celebrated in Europe since before the middle ages, and it's always been a period of great festivities. Twelvetide officially finishes on January 5th, the traditional day for taking down the Christmas decorations. Twelfth night is also known as the Eve of Ephiphany, and is distinguished by feasts and festivities that call attention to the arrival of the three kings to see the Holy Child.

I was able to find lists of the twelve days of Christmas that honored saints. Some folks simply sing it as a fun song. In Victorian times, it may have been one of the popular "memory and forfeit" songs that people would sing with their guests in the parlor, with lots of laughter and fun. Still others believe that it was written as a kind of memory aid for children studying the Catholic catechism - that there's a deeper meaning, a code, if you will, within the lyrics. These folks feel that the gifts on each day of Twelvetide, or Christmastide, represent significant parts of our faith.  Here's the reason why: from 1558 to 1829, Roman Catholics were forbidden from practicing their faith openly. So the song was created as a sneakier way to teach the kids their catechism!

I'd like to explore that final theory, and look at the gifts in the song as a lead-up to our celebrations of the birth of Jesus Christ. 

Are ya with me?

Let's dive in!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . . a partridge in a pear tree. 

Why a partridge? This represents Jesus, the Son of God. The "true love" in the song is God, and Christ is symbolically represented as a mother partridge . . . a partridge will feign injury to draw a predator away from her young. Pretending that her wing or other part of her body is hurt, she pretends to be an "easy meal," and the predator will follow her -- she's a decoy so that her babies can hide or run away. She will even give up her own life for her little ones. 

Jesus came as the babe in the manger; He came quietly into the world to offer full forgiveness and restoration with Father God. By offering Himself on the cross:

he will rescue you from the trap of the hunter and from the plague of calamities; 

 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his truth is a shield and protection. (Psalm 91:3-4, CJB)

Just as our Bibles begin and end with Jesus, and the gospel we want to share starts and finishes with Him, so too the song -- each verse repeats all the way down to "partridge in a pear tree" each time! And the pear tree is the cross itself. There was a time in King David's career when he sought the Lord's help in delivering his people from the scourge of the Philistines . . . the Lord told him:

 And when thou shalt hear the sound of one going in the tops of the pear trees, then shalt thou join battle: for then will the Lord go out before thy face to strike the army of the Philistines. (II Samuel 5:24, RHE)

The cross, like the pear trees for David, was instrumental in the plan God made. His plan made it possible for us to prevail over sin as David prevailed over the Philistines. Jesus' blood, shed on the cross, cleanses us from our sins and allows us to be called the children of God!

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, (John 1:12, NASB)

Whether or not this folk song taught children about their faith, it CAN teach all of us to pause and consider the gifts we have been given as children of God! And one gift stands above them all: our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

What's that next verse? 
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . .  two turtledoves.

These two birds represent the Old and New Testaments. In this gift, we see the complete story of our faith and God's plan for the world. The two turtledoves are a roadmap (or a GPS system, for today's vernacular!) that is available to everyone. The Bible may be old, but it still has meaning for us today. In our human families, we often share stories to help us remember specific people and traditions; the Bible helps us to remember our heritage in the faith, and the truths that our faith is grounded upon.

The gospel of Luke tells us the story of Mary and Joseph presenting the baby Jesus in the temple. This was done in accordance with the law of Moses. Luke mentions that they would sacrifice "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young doves.” (Luke 2:24)

Now, the primary gift of sacrifice from a new mom "should" have been a yearling lamb. However:

But if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young doves, the one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’” (Leviticus 12:8, NASB)

Because Mary and Joseph were poor, they couldn't afford to bring a lamb.

Except that they did. 
They did bring a lamb.

They brought with them the Lamb of God AND the two turtledoves. This, then, was a symbol of the Hebrew scriptures and the gospel of the New Testament meeting. 

The newborn babe would fulfill the old law and would form a new covenant with mankind.

Yes, Jesus is the gift that we celebrate this Christmas season. In Him, alone we find hope, everlasting love, joy, peace, and new life. Let's sing praises to our true love, our Father God, and to His Son Jesus this Christmas!