The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a carol with a strong meaning in the Christian faith. Each of the lines of the song has a link to Christianity. It was during the times when catholics had to hide their faith from the world around them and this song used to enable them to pray in secret. It was a song the people could sing to celebrate their belief in God. 

"A partridge in a pear tree" symbolises a belief in ONE God as the commandments teach us.

"Two turtle doves" symbolised the Old testament and the New testament.

"Three French Hens" represented the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

"Four Calling Birds" represented the four Gospels

"Five Golden Rings" is something to do with Jesus as the sacred number of Christ is five. This is the reason we have five fingers and thumb. The number speaks of the number of Holy Wounds Christ suffered. There are other links in the Bible to this sacred number and as Christian Wiccans we know how powerful a number it be!!

"Six Geese a-laying" represents the star of David. To me personally this symbolises the holy matrimony of the Lord and the Lady as one triangle pointing up is the Lord and the other pointing down is the Lady, as a symbol the star of David is powerful to keep both Lord and Lady in your heart of prayer.

"Seven swans a-swimming" is another sacred number of the Lord which is honoured especially in Rastafari teachings and is also the sacred number of colours in the Rainbow and the major chakras

"Eight maids a-milking" as a christian Wiccan would be the Sabbats of the year. There may well be a Catholic meaning from the bible which was it's true meaning in this carol.

"Nine ladies dancing" is a funny one as 9 is the number of completion and is strongly evident in the Bah'ai faith who in my book are still strongly Christian.

"Ten Lords a'Leaping" is really of Islam as there are Ten pillars of Islam although it is in my belief that there is a Christian counterpart to this. I suppose here we mean the Ten commandments!!!

"Eleven pipers piping" is for the true biblical Apostles of Jesus as represented on a Simnel cake at Easter.

"Twelve drummers drumming" is again a sacred number we find in astrology and as the Twelve tribes of Israel or Judah!