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Can anyone confirm or deny the truth of this theory? Several people I know have received an email with the following explanation for the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas. > There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. Have you ever > wondered about THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS? 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? > > Today, I found out. From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were > not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote > this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of > meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of > their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious > reality, which the children could remember. > > 1) The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. > > 2) Two turtledoves were the Old and New Testaments. > > > 3) Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love. > > > 4) The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & > John. > > 5) The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of > the Old Testament. > > 6) The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation. > > > 7) Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy > Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, > and Mercy. > > 8) The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes. > > 9) Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit:Love, Joy, > Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self > Control. > > 10) The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments. > > > 11) The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples. > > 12) The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in > The Apostles' Creed. > > So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I > found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song > became a Christmas Carol... so pass it on if you wish. > >