The real 12 Days of Christmas!

[rocklobster]

Everyone's sung/heard/played The 12 Days of Christmas. But what's the real meaning behind the song? Well, here it is. The true love in the song is God. The gifts are actually representative of Christianity:
Partridge in a pear tree= Jesus
Turtle Doves= old and new testaments
French Hens= Holy Trinity
Calling Birds= writers of the Gospels
Golden Rings= the first five books of the Bible
Geese a-laying= the six days of creation
swans a-swimming= the seven sacraments
maids a-milking= the eight beautitudes
ladies dancing= the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit
lords a-leaping= the ten commandments
pipers piping= the eleven faithful apostles (excluding Judas)
drummers drumming= the twelve tribes of Israel

[Nate]

This isn't really true. The song is a children's song, a memory aid, in which one child would sing a verse, the second would repeat the verse and add another, and so forth. It seems to be a secular song, and probably originated in France.

There IS a song that attributes Christian meanings to the twelve days of Christmas, but it's called "A New Dial." What seems to have happened is that the song "A New Dial" assigns the meanings you stated to the 12 days of Christmas, and over time, Christians somehow "merged" the two songs.

Also, the fourth day is "colly" birds, not calling. "Colly" means black, meaning the birds are crows or blackbirds.

[beau99]

Nate is correct, on all counts. This is a secular song and always has been.

[rocklobster]

I think you are both sadly mistaken. Read this article: the proof!

[Radical Dreamer]

Also, the fourth day is "colly" birds, not calling. "Colly" means black, meaning the birds are crows or blackbirds.

Whoa, really? Well, you learn something new every day. XDD

[beau99]

I think you are both sadly mistaken. Read this article: the proof!

The carol has also taken on a religious significance although claims that it was used as a secret method of teaching Catholic doctrine during the English Reformation under Henry VIII and later have not been proven.

Yeah. Not proven.

[Nate]

Also, the statement:

The carol has also taken on a religious significance

You can't take something on unless you didn't have it before. It took on a religious significance; that means it did not originally have one. As I said before, the song "A New Dial" was somehow confused with Twelve Days of Christmas. In fact, I shall post "A New Dial" to prove it.

What are they that are but one?
We have one God alone
In heaven above sits on His throne.

What are they which are by two?
Two testaments, the old and new,
We do acknowledge to be true.

What are they which are but three?
Three persons in the Trinity
Which make one God in unity.

What are they which are but four
Four sweet Evangelists there are,
Christ's birth, life, death which do declare.

What are they which are but five?
Five senses, like five kings, maintain
In every man a several reign.

What are they which are but six?
Six days to labor is not wrong,
For God himself did work so long.

What are they which are but seven?
Seven liberal arts hath God sent down
With divine skill man's soul to crown.

What are they which are but eight?
Eight Beatitudes are there given
Use them right and go to heaven.

What are they which are but nine?
Nine Muses, like the heaven's nine spheres,
With sacred tunes entice our ears.

What are they which are but ten?
Ten statutes God to Moses gave
Which, kept or broke, do spill or save.

What are they which are but eleven?
Eleven thousand virgins did partake
And suffered death for Jesus' sake.

What are they which are but twelve?
Twelve are attending on God's son;
Twelve make our creed. The Dial's done.