Having learned to sing it as a young child at home, at church, in school, riding along in the car, and later on teaching it to our children, imagine my surprise as I was listening to KDTH yesterday and learned about the “real” meaning of each of the verses of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"!

What I did know was that the “twelve days of Christmas” are the twelve days between Christmas Day, December 25 … the celebrated date of the birth of Jesus, and the Epiphany, January 6 … the day Christians celebrate the arrival of the Magi (Wise Men) and the revelation of Christ as the light of the world.  

While the song may sound silly to some, it actually had its origins in religious symbolism - and with a serious purpose.  It dates from a time of religious persecution and was written as a kind of secret code for a religious truth that could be sung in public without fear of arrest.

The “true love” mentioned in the song doesn’t refer to an earthly suitor; it refers to God.  The “me” who receives the presents refers to every baptized person.  

On the first day of Christmas, my True Love gave to me … a partridge in a pear tree.  The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus.

The two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments.
The three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds are the four Gospels.
The five gold rings recall the Hebrew Torah (Law), or the Pentateuch, the first
five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.
The seven swans a-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The eight maids a-milking are the eight Beatitudes.
The nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
The eleven pipers piping represent the eleven faithful Apostles.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of doctrine in the
Apostles Creed.

I guess it's true…one is never too old to learn … Merry Christmas, Dubuque!