KeltonKrew
Lieutenant
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2002
- Messages
- 1,325
don't know if this is true, but it was neat reading<br /><br />You may have seen this before. It was new to me. <br /><br /> <br /><br />The History of The 12 Days Of Christmas<br /><br />There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.<br />What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans<br />and especially the partridge who won't come out of<br />the pear tree have to do with Christmas?<br /><br />From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England<br />were not permitted topractice their faith openly.<br />Someone during that era wrote this carol as a<br />catechism song for young Catholics.<br />It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning<br />plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.<br />Each element in the carol has a code word<br />for a religious reality which the children could remember.<br /><br />The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.<br />Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.<br />Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.<br />The four calling birds were the four gospels<br />of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.<br />The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law,<br />the first five books of the Old Testament.<br />The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.<br />Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts<br />of the Holy Spirit-Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution,<br />Leadership and Mercy.<br />The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.<br />Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit -<br />Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,<br />Gentleness, and Self Control.<br />The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.<br />The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.<br />The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points<br />of belief in the Apostles 'Creed.<br /><br />So that's your history for today. May God grant you peace and happiness<br />throughout this Christmas Season.
