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 Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:03 pm
I got this in an email:
12 Days of Christmas
There is one Christmas carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
From 1558 to 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. This carol was written as a Catechism song for young Catholics. Each element in the carol ha a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
The turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope, and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimmin g g represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy
Spirit...Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit...Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.
The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 11:51 am
wow. never would have guessed that, but it makes sense.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 12:48 pm
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:50 pm
That's cool. i never would have known.
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