Just So You Know....

There  is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.
What in the  world do leaping lords, French

hens,
swimming swans, and  especially the partridge who won't come out
of the pear tree have  to do with Christmas?

 
 

This  week, I found out.

From  1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were
not permitted to  practice their faith openly. Someone
during that era wrote this  carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels  of meaning: the surface meaning
plus a hidden meaning known only  to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code  word for a religious reality
which the children could remember.  


 
 

 

-The  partridge in a pear tree was

Jesus Christ.  

 
 

   -Two  turtle doves were the

Old and New Testaments.

 

-Three  French hens stood for

faith, hope and  love.  

-The  four calling birds were the four gospels

of Matthew, Mark, Luke  & John.  

-The  five golden rings recalled the Torah or

Law, the first five books of  the Old Testament.  

-The  six geese a-laying stood for the six days

of  creation.  

-Seven  swans a-swimming represented

the

sevenfold gifts of the Holy  Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhoration, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.  

-The eight maids a-milking  were the

eight beatitudes.  

-Nine ladies dancing were the  nine fruits

of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience,  Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.    

-The ten lords a-leaping were  the

ten commandments.  

-The eleven pipers piping  stood for the

eleven faithful  disciples.  

-The twelve drummers drumming  symbolized

the twelve points of belief in the Apostles'  Creed.

So there is your history for  today.

This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting  and enlightening

and now I know how that strange song became a  Christmas Carol....so pass it on if you wish.'

Merry (Twelve Days of)  Christmas Everyone  

Comments

[Gina]

My students taught me this too. They complete a project that compares Christmas in America to Christmas in other countries. One of the groups shared the meaning of this song. Interesting..