12 days of Christmas

The traditional Christmas Carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, is unique

among carols - in that it is entirely about receiving gifts - it seems

to have nothing else to do with the Christmas season. It makes no

mention of the shepherds at watch, or angels proclaiming the coming of

the newborn King. In fact, it seemingly focuses on "getting" rather than

"giving" and never once speaks of the Joy and peace that the

Christ-Child has brought to mankind.

The song was composed in England during the 16th century, supposedly by

Catholics who were forbidden by law to practice their faith. To teach

their children basic doctrine, they used "nonsense songs" that would not

raise the suspicions of the non-Catholics around them, but would remind

the children of the important elements of their faith.

It has been called an "underground Catechism" by some. The "true love"

mentioned in the song refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the

presents refers to every baptized person who is part of the Christian

Faith. Each of the "days" represents some aspect of the Christian Faith

that was important for children to learn.

Whether this folklore is true or not, I'd like to keep Christ in

Christmas and move away from the secular ways of today's

society - read more at snopes and see Christmas Time

On the Second Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Two Turtle Doves

Two Turtle Doves symbolize The Old and New Testaments, which together

bear witness to God's self-revelation in history and the creation of a

people to tell the Story of God to the world. God's relationship to

mankind is begun with the Covenant to Abraham and his descendents

and is fulfilled in the New Covenant of Christ's life, death and resurrection.

On the Third Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Three French Hens

French Hens were very expensive during the 16th century, and could be

symbolic of the three gifts of the Magi: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

An alternate significance is that of depicting the value of the three

theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity (sacrificial love). But

the primary interpretation of the song's use the French Hens is to

symbolize the three Persons of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Four Calling Birds

Four Calling Birds symbolize the Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3)

Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God's reconciliation

of the world to Himself through Jesus Christ.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Five Gold Rings

The Five Gold Rings point to the first five books of the Old Testament,

known as the Torah or the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3)

Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy. This is the history of

humanity's sinful failure and God's response of grace in the creation of

a people to be a light to the world.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Six Geese a' Laying

We can understand that eggs are an almost universal symbol of new life.

The "laying" geese, therefore, symbolize for the six days of creation.

These are the days that proclaim God as Creator and Sustainer of the

world. Far from the distractions of paganism Christians looked to the

true Author of creation.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Seven Swans a' Swimming

The primary symbolism of the swans is that of the Seven Gifts of the

Holy Spirit: 1) Wisdom, 2) understanding, 3) Right Judgement 4) Courage

5) Knowledge, 6) Reverence and 7) fear of the Lord

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Eight Maids a' Milking

The maids who milked the cows were the least of the servants in a home.

Their job symbolized Christ's faithfulness even to us who don't deserve

his love. The eight maids stand for the "Eight Beatitudes" or blessings listed in the gospels: Blessed are 1) the peacemaker, 2) the pure of heart, 3) the merciful, 4) those who weep, 5) those who hunger and thirst for what is right, 6) the gentle, 7) the poor in spirit 8) the persecuted in the cause of uprightness. From the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-10

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Nine Ladies Dancing

The dancing ladies symbolize the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit as found

in Galatians 5:22: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness,

6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Ten Lords a' Leaping

In all societies, Lords or Rulers established the law in their own

jurisdictions. The Lords stand for the Ten Commandments given to Moses

on Mt. Sinai by Yahweh, which are holy and good, by which we should

live, and by which we all are judged. Can you name them? 1) I am the

Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me 2) You shall

not take the name of God in vain 3) Remember to keep the Sabbath day

holy 4) Honour your father and mother 5) You shall not kill 6) you shall

not commit adultery 7) You shall not steal 8) You shall not bear false

witness 9) you shall not covet your neighbours wife 10) you shall not

covet your neighbours goods.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Eleven Pipers Piping

The pipers symbolize the Eleven Faithful Apostles through whom the Good

News of the Gospel was preached to the whole world (Matt. 28:19; Rom.

10:18-21): Mathew, John, Peter, James, Philip, Andrew, Thomas,

Bartholomew, James, Simon, Jude.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Twelve Drummers Drumming

The Apostles' Creed is one of the earliest "professions" of faith that

summarize the basic teachings of biblical Christian faith. Professions

of Faith such as this are not meant to add to or replace scripture, but

to summarize its teachings. They can be recited at will to remind us of

the basics of the Christian faith. The Drummers "set the pace,"

reminders of what we believe by symbolizing the twelve doctrines

summarized in the Apostles' Creed. 1) I believe in God, the Father

almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, His

only son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and was born of the Virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried. 5) He descended to the dead. On

the third day He rose again. 6) He ascended into Heaven, and is seated

at the right hand of the Father. 7) He will come to judge the living

and the dead. 8) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 9) the holy Catholic

Church, the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, the

resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting. Amen.

On the First Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

The partridge symbolizes Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, whose

birthday we celebrate on December 25. In the carol, Christ is

symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to decoy

predators from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of

Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How

often would I have sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her

chicks, but you would not have it so . . . .? (Luke 13:34)

Wishing you all the very best of the Christmas season..and I made some Christmas cards up for you all to use to give out..And for those who have lost their loved ones Know that they are having the very best Christmas ever for they are with the one Whom this season is all about! The Son of God!! You can't get any better Christmas than that!...Love you all Terri

http://ttchristmascards.homestead.com/foryou.html