AMDG
When does Christmas begin and end? From looking at store ads and displays, one
might think it begins on Halloween and ends the day after Christmas as seen by
the many trashed Christmas trees.
Christmas certainly does not begin on Black Friday nor Small Business
Saturday, nor Cyber Monday. Nor does it
begin on December 1. This year the
period from November 28 to December 24 is Advent, a time to prepare for the
coming of Christ with prayer, spiritual reading, sacrifices, good works,
confession, etc. Traditionally,
Christmas Eve was a day of fast and abstinence in preparation for the great
feast. Christmas really is supposed to begin
at Midnight Mass on December 25.
The
Church today considers the Christmas season to end on the Third Sunday after Christmas
which honors the Baptism of our Lord by John the Baptist. The pre-Vatican II (1962-65) Church
considered the Christmas season to end on February 2, the Feast of the
Presentation of Our Lord or Candlemas Day.
Adhering to that tradition, the streets in Polish towns and cities remain
decorated and the Nativity scenes in churches are kept up until Candlemas Day.
For centuries Christians celebrated the Twelve Days of
Christmas, the period between Christmas Day and the Feast of the Epiphany (December
25 – January 6 or Christmas Day to Epiphany eve. Christian tradition holds that the Magi
traveled twelve days to reach the Christ child. Out of this tradition came a Christmas
carol, “the Twelve Days of Christmas” that originated in 1780 or before……some
say as a memory game, others as a Catechism game.
The lyric “My true love sent to me”
(a gift each day until the 12th day, the 12th verse as
follows) “Twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a leaping,
nine ladies dancing, eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a
laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French horns, two turtle
doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” The
complete lyrics are in the Appendix. See
John Denver and his Muppets sing it at https://www.vox.com/21796404/12-days-of-christmas-explained.
The
accumulation of so many gifts was worth thousands of dollars. Each of them are represented by the images
above. Does all that have any meaning or
simply nonsense to amuse the kids?
Although
different sources contradict each other, many believe that the lyrics of the
“Twelve Days of Christmas” carol have hidden meanings for Catechetical
purposes……to help British Catholics in the underground Church learn, remember,
and spread the tenets of their faith to adults and children. With this disguised memory aid, it was easier
to avoid detection since the faithful Catholic did not dare to hold an
incriminating written catechism on his person.
From
1534 under King Henry VIII until the passage of the 1829 Catholic Emancipation
Act, English Catholics were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law
- private or public. It was a crime to BE a Catholic. At its peak faithful Catholics, particularly
priests, faced the prospect of being imprisoned, decapitated, hanged, and
quartered (pulled by four horses, one for each of the four limbs..
The Christian meanings
of the lyrics are summarized below. Whether
intended by the original author or added later, they certainly reinforce our
faith.
- 1 Partridge in a Pear Tree – Jesus Christ is represented by a mother
partridge.
- 2 Turtle Doves
= The Old and New Testaments
- 3 French Hens
= Faith, hope, and charity, as the principle theological virtues
- 4 Calling Birds
= the Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
- 5 Golden Rings
= The first five books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch,” which gives
the history of man’s fall from grace……the books of
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
- 6 Geese A-laying
= the six days of creation (highlighting life)……1) light, 2) the atmosphere/firmament, 3) dry
ground & plants, 4) the sun, moon, & stars, 5) the birds & sea
creatures, 6) land animals &humans.
- 7 Swans A-swimming
= the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel,
fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord) and the seven
sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation, the Eucharist,
Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick)
- 8 Maids A-milking
= the eight beatitudes (see below)
- 9 Ladies Dancing
= the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).
- 10 Lords A-leaping
= the Ten Commandments which every Christian should know by heart.
- 11 Pipers Piping
= the eleven faithful apostles (Simon, called Peter; Andrew, Peter’s
brother; James, son of Zebedee, brother of John; John, son of Zebedee,
brother of James; Philip; Bartholomew, called Nathaniel; Thomas (referred
to as the doubter); Matthew, the tax collector, the Evangelist; James, the
son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, the son of James, called Judas/Jude (NOT the
betrayer); Simon, the Zealot.)
- 12 Drummers Drumming
= the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed (All Catholics
should know the Apostles Creed, the very first prayer of the Rosary after
the Sign of the Cross.)
“My
true love” represents God Himself who lavishes His
gifts upon "me" who as a baptized person receives these gifts
(including Christ Himself in the Eucharist). “The partridge in a pear tree”
represents Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This recalls the expression of Christ's
sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the
prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered
your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you
would not!” (Matthew 23:37).
Appendix
The Eight Beatitudes (Matthew
5:3-10)
- Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess 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.
Lyrics of the “Twelve Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree
On the second day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Two turtle-doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the third day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Three French hens
Two turtle-doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle-doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Five golden rings (five golden rings)
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle-doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Six geese a laying
Five golden rings (five golden rings)
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle-doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Seven swans a swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings (five golden rings)
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle-doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Eight maids a milking
Seven swans a swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings (five golden rings)
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle-doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings (five golden rings)
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle-doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Ten lords a-leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings (five golden rings)
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle-doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the 11th day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
I sent 11 pipers piping
Ten lords a-leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings (five golden rings)
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle-doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the 12th day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
12 drummers drumming
Eleven pipers piping
Ten lords a-leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings (five golden rings)
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle-doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
And a partridge in a pear tree
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen
Twelve Days Of Christmas lyrics © Wb Music Corp.,
Cahn Music Company, 615 Trax, Van Heusen Music Corp.
To obtain the sheet music for piano, go
to
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