Mike Parker: A deep dive into ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’
During the past few days, I heard two versions of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” One is the traditional carol that dates from the late 18th century. The other is a more modern adaptation that replaces the various gifts of the original version with the gifts that come through the Lord Jesus.
Both versions of this classic are a cumulative song. As the song goes on, the recipient of the gifts gets everything from the day before – plus a new gift. For those who may like a reminder, the song begins:
“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.
“On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
“On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”
This gift giving begins on the first day of Christmas – which is Christmas Day. If we count 12 days beginning with Christmas on December 25, then we arrive at January 5 – the twelfth day. January 5 is the day before Epiphany on January 6, the date observed to celebrate the Wise Men visiting to the Baby Jesus and presenting their gifts to Him – gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
One of the most interesting facets of this song is that if we total the gifts given over the 12 days of Christmas, the beloved receives 364 gifts: 12 partridges, 22 turtle doves, 30 French hens, 36 calling birds, 40 gold rings, 42 geese, 42 swans, 40 maids milking, 36 ladies dancing, 30 lords leaping, 22 pipers piping, and 12 drummers drumming.
For 41 years, PNC bank has calculated the prices of the gifts from “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The PNC Christmas Price Index may be a whimsical holiday tradition, but it closely mirrors the U.S. Consumer Price Index. According to the PNC Index, the total 2024 value of the gifts the beloved receives is $49,263.47, an increase of 5.4 percent over 2023.
As I thought about these gifts, what struck me most was the 184 birds. Seems like a great deal of droppings to clean up each day.
Another fascinating thing I learned about this song is how some claim the song offers an overview of Christian, especially Catholic, doctrine – sort of a crash course in articles of faith. According to an article by Shaun McAfee in the National Catholic Register titled “The Hidden Meaning of the Gifts in ‘12 Days of Christmas,’” the hidden meanings are:
• 2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
• 3 French Hens = Faith, hope, and charity, the principle theological virtues
• 4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels
• 5 Golden Rings = The first five books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch,” which gives the history of man’s fall from grace
• 6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation (highlighting life)
• 7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
• 8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
• 9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
• 10 Lords A-leaping = the Ten Commandments
• 11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
• 12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed
The “partridge in a pear tree” represents Jesus Christ as a symbolic mother partridge protecting her helpless nestlings.
McAfee admits that no historical sources exist to vindicate this claim, but I am amazed that someone would give the time and effort to construct this list – even if it is fictitious.
I mentioned earlier that I had heard a version of the song by Carroll Roberson that focuses on the gifts that the Lord Jesus gives to us. I will share only the 12th day gifts since that last day gives the list used in the entire song:
“On the twelfth day of Christmas Jesus gave to me: eternity to praise, a thousand tongues to sing, streets of pure gold, mansions above, a robe and a crown, a body glorified, power from on high, joy for my soul, love for all men, peace in my heart, everlasting life, and salvation full and free.”
Merry Christmas to all!
Mike Parker is a columnist for the Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.
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