By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
Below is an excerpt taken from Living in Truth: A Christmas Devotional
It’s funny how kids misinterpret the words to songs when they are little. (Okay, maybe not just kids.) Up until very recently, I thought the Elton John song lyrics were, “Put-put a penny in the chest.” That is until my husband heard me singing in the car one day and started laughing hysterically. He said, “It’s not put a penny in the chest, silly. It’s Benny and the Jets.” Oops! (I still like my version better.)
One year our four-year-old son, Ben, was practicing the Christmas songs for his upcoming recital at preschool. One of the songs was “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
He began singing, “On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three French hips, two turtle doves, and a pondridge in a pear tree.” (I guess you could say the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.)
But hey, we aren’t the only ones rewriting lyrics to well-known songs. As I was researching the history behind “The Twelve Days of Christmas” I learned that the original lyric for the fourth day of Christmas was “colly” birds—not calling birds. The term “colly” was Old English slang for blackbirds.
I also learned that the English Christmas carol was written during a time when Roman Catholics were persecuted for their beliefs and therefore, unable to practice their faith openly. While the bizarre gift exchange seems strange to our modern-day giving traditions, each day’s gift held a deeper meaning. “My true love” represents God, and each gift symbolizes different aspects of the Christian faith:
- The partridge in the pear tree is Jesus Christ.
- The 2 turtle doves are The Old and New Testaments.
- The 3 French hens are Faith, Hope, and Charity.
- The 4 calling birds are the four gospels.
- The 5 golden rings are the first five books of the Old Testament.
- The 6 geese a-laying are the six days of creation.
- The 7 swans a-swimming are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
- The 8 maids a-milking are the eight beatitudes.
- The 9 ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Spirit.
- The 10 lords a-leaping are the ten commandments.
- The 11 pipers piping are the eleven faithful apostles.
- The 12 drummers drumming are the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed.
I also found it interesting that the twelve days are not a reference to the days leading up to Christmas. Rather, they represent the twelve days following it. The period of time begins with birth of Christ, celebrated on December 25th, and ends with the coming of the Three Wise Men, celebrated on January 6th, which is called Epiphany or Three Kings Day.
So, the next time you hear “The Twelve Days of Christmas” remember this. It’s partridge, not pondridge. It’s French hens, not French hips. And it’s sacred, not silly.
“Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him” (Psalm 98:1).
Looking for a way to connect with God daily? CLICK HERE to check out our new daily devotional: Living in Truth Mind, Body, Spirit. Makes a great Christmas gift too!
