When my husband and I were traveling through Australia, we found a lovely cathedral called St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney. We were thrilled that we were allowed to enter after the worship service on a Sunday. We loved the stained-glass windows and the ark work, but what impressed me the most was the banners hanging in order showing the meaning behind this popular Christmas song that we all know. For so many years, I did not know the hidden meaning. But today, I’ll share this inspirational information with you.
The twelve days of Christmas signifies the time between the celebration of the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the three wise men. The lyrics most of us know were penned by British composer Frederic Austin in 1909. But according to the Catholic Church, this song has roots dating back to the 1500s and has its roots in Catholicism. Catholics celebrate the Christmas Season from the day of Jesus’ birth to the day of the Epiphany—when the wise men visited Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus.
Religious wars in England in the 1500s made it dangerous to practice Catholicism. As a result, many practiced their faith in secret. Catholic families creatively designed unique ways to pass their faith down to their children. This song is one of those ways. Although to many, the words appear as nonsense, we’ll look today at the hidden meaning behind these familiar words. We’ll also look at ways you can teach these tenets of our faith to your children. Oh, how many times I sang this sound and never understood what I was singing!
Let’s start at the beginning with Day One: **There is a link below to view this message on YouTube. It’s best viewed on YouTube where you can see each banner.
First Day of Christmas: A Partridge in a Pear Tree – This bird represents Jesus, who gave his life to pay for our sins on the Cross. Partridges are birds known to sacrifice for their babies. The pear tree symbolized the Cross that Jesus died on.
To teach this to your children, you can divide a sheet of paper in half. Have them draw a partridge in a pear tree on one side and Jesus on the cross on the other side. Let them know that only Jesus can pay for our sins and He is the only way to God.
Second Day of Christmas: Two Turtle Doves – The two turtle doves represent the Old and New Testaments—Yes, the Holy Bible that teaches us God’s truth. Turtle doves are known to mate for life and are seen as symbols of fidelity and love. The Old Testament and New Testaments, God’s Holy Word, are intricately connected with a central theme of salvation running through both of them. They are the holy and inspired Word of God, even though written by approximately 40 different authors over 1500-2000 years in three languages over three continents while flawlessly maintaining a flawless consistency. The authors come from various backgrounds such as shepherds and kings to a doctor and the apostles of Jesus. As the banner says, “God’s plan for our salvation is achieved in Jesus Christ who fulfills the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament and ushers in the New.”
Sum up the Old Testament for your children in these words “Man has a sin problem.”
Then sum up the New Testament in these words – This is what God has done about sin.”
Third Day of Christmas: Three French Hens – These three hens signify the Biblical or Theological Virtues of faith, hope, and love. Now, if I were writing this song, I would have used these three hens to represent the trinity. But as a way of tying the trinity in, the banner in St. Mary’s says, “The gift of God’s grace and these three Theological Virtues dispose Christians to live in relationship with the Holy Trinity.
Teach your children the importance of these virtues by:
Faith – allowing them to read ten minutes in their bible and share what that reading taught them about their faith.
Hope – allowing them to list ten things they are thankful for. Gratitude gives us hope.
Love – allowing them to show love or some by writing them a letter expressing their love.
Fourth Day of Christmas – Four Calling Birds – These birds symbolize the four gospels –Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which all tell the good news of Jesus’ teachings and life.
This is a great place to bring in memory verses. Give your children a special verse out of each of these books and allow them to pick one to memorize.
For example:
Matthew 6:33 – “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Mark 16:15 – “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Luke 18:27 –“What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Fifth Day of Christmas – Five Golden Rings – These rings represent the Pentateuch or first five books of the Old Testament known as the Books of the Law. These include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. I’m currently doing the daily Bible study called Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble. I’ve just finished studying these five books. They are foundational for understanding the storyline of the Bible and the central theme of redemption.
You can read your favorite verse from each of these books to your children. For example:
Genesis 1:27 –“God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”
Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other Gods before Me.”
Leviticus 11:44 – “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.”
Numbers 6:24-26 – “The Lord bless and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 – “These commandments I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and get up.”
This is why we teach you daily about our faith. God instructs us to do this as parents.
Sixth Day of Christmas – Six Geese A-Laying – These geese symbolize the six days of creation and the fact that God, not chance, is the creator, and He did it by His Spoken Word.
Read the creation account in Genesis 1-4 to your children. Allow them to draw a picture of their favorite part of God’s creation. Or you can go on a family walk together to admire the beauty of God’s creation.
Seventh Day of Christmas: Seven Swans A-Swimming – These swans represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and Fear of the Lord.
Pray a prayer with your children asking God to fill your hearts with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Eighth Day of Christmas: Eight Maids A-Milking – These maids symbolize the eight beatitudes that Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 3-10.
Read these beautiful attitudes that Jesus modeled and promoted:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Allow your children to live these actions out. For example:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit”– Have your children clean out their clothes and give clothes and toys to those in need.
“Blessed are those who mourn” – Allow your children to make a card or encouragement picture for someone going through a tough time.
Ninth Day of Christmas: Nine Ladies Dancing – These ladies represent the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Have a discussion with your children about what the world would be like if people practiced these fruits every day. Which one do they think is most important. There are no right or wrong answers.
Tenth Day of Christmas: Ten Lords A-Leaping – These lords represent the Ten Commandments. These are not just a bunch of rules or hoops to jump through. They are commandments that allow us to lead a productive and happy life. They protect us from sin and heartache. Yes, they are God’s protection for us.
The Ten Commandments:
- I am the Lord your God: You shall not have strange gods before me.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain.
- Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not kill.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
Zero in on the commandment that promises a blessing. That is for children to obey their parents so their days will be long. This commandment is just one of many ways we are protected when we obey God’s laws and statutes.
Eleventh Day of Christmas: Eleven Pipers Piping – These pipers represent the faithful disciples of Christ, which include Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (sometimes called Thaddeus), Judas son of James, and Simon. It does not include the disciple who betrayed Jesus—Judas Iscariot.
Explain to your children that a disciple is someone who commits themselves to following Christ and participating in His mission. We are all to be disciples of Christ.
Twelfth Day of Christmas: Twelve Drummers Drumming – These drummers represent the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed. This creed summarizes the core beliefs of our faith as Christians.
Recite the Apostles’ Creed with your children:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.
But Christmas always goes back to the Partridge in a Pear Tree—the baby Jesus who would one day die on a cross to pay for our sins.
As you can see, The 12 Days of Christmas song is actually a code song to teach tenets of the faith during a time when practicing religion was prohibited in England.
Next time you sing this famous Christmas carol; I pray it has new meaning for you.
Here’s to wishing you, not Happy Holidays, but a Merry Christmas because Jesus the Savior is born. And He, and only He is the reason for this season.
This message is best seen on YouTube. View this message on YouTube:
The Hidden Meaning Behind “The 12 Days of Christmas”
Wishing you a Meaningful and Joyous Christmas Season,
Ginny
Ginny Dent Brant is a speaker and writer who grew up in the halls of power in Washington, DC. She has battled cancer, ministered around the world, and served on the front lines of American culture as a counselor, educator, wellness advocate, and adjunct professor. Brant’s award-winning book, Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson and featured in many TV and media interviews. Unleash Your God-Given Healing: Eight Steps to Prevent and Survive Cancer was released in May 2020 after her journey with cancer and was recently awarded the First Place Golden Scrolls Award for Memoirs, a finalist in Serious Writers Book of the Decade, and Second Place in both Selah Awards for Memoirs and Director’s Choice Award for Nonfiction at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. It recently received the Christian Authors Network’s (CAN) Gold Award for Excellence in Marketing for reaching 62.5 million people with a message of cancer prevention and survival. It was written with commentary from an oncologist and was featured on CBN’s Healthy Living Show, Atlanta Live, and CTN’s Homekeepers along with over 75 media outlets. Learn more and cancer and wellness prevention blog and book information at www.ginnybrant.com.
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**** This content is strictly the opinion of Ginny Brant and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Ginny Brant nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. ****
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