THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Have you viewed the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as just a fun tune, thinking of the physical gifts mentioned, or have you viewed it through a spiritual lens? Thanks to a prayer group I’m involved with, I became more aware of the spiritual meaning behind the song, which I found interesting.

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a festive Christian season that starts with the celebration of Jesus’ birth on December 25 and runs for twelve days. The twelfth day celebrates the Epiphany, which is when the Magi visited baby Jesus, bringing the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The twelve days were a time of rededication and renewal. Children received small, simple, and usually symbolic gifts of faith.

 

What are the hidden Christian symbols found in The Twelve Days of Christmas that we can reflect on?

 

1^st Day:  A partridge in a pear tree

On Christmas Day, the first and greatest gift that is given to us is Jesus, the Son of God, the Word made flesh, the Light of the world; the divine coming in human form to dwell with us. The pear tree is symbolic of the wood of the tree—the cross that Jesus would eventually be hung on at His death. How appropriate that this gift is first because Jesus is the best gift ever given to this world—to you and me—that assures us of spending eternity with Him.

 

Photo courtesy of Sue Thompson under Creative Commons License (CC BY-ND  2.0)

 

Photo courtesy of Lluís Ribes Mateu under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

2^nd Day: Two turtle doves

The two turtle doves represent the Old and New Testaments of the Bible—the Word of God. With this gift, we have the whole story of the Christian faith and God’s plan of salvation for the entire world at our fingertips. The Bible is a roadmap for our lives as we stand on His promises day by day.

 

3^rd Day: Three French hens

The three French hens have a two-fold representation. One is the Trinity, which is the Father (God), the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. What a comfort to always have the Trinity accompanying us.

The three French hens also represent the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  –1 Corinthians 13:13  (NIV)

We are given the virtues of faith, hope, and love that we can share with all. The greatest is love because

…God is love.  –1 John 4:16  (NIV)   

And God, who is love, remains forever, even in heaven!

 

4^th Day: Four calling birds

These birds represent the four Gospels of the New Testament, who are calling us to deeper intimacy with Jesus as they share accounts of His life. The stories are a beautiful song to our hearts as we grow in faith.

1-Matthew
2-Mark
3-Luke
4-John

 

5^th Day: Five gold rings

The five gold rings are indicative of the Torah of the Jewish people, which are the first five books of the Old Testament in the Christian Bible.

1-Genesis
2-Exodus
3-Leviticus
4-Numbers
5-Deuteronomy

 

6^th Day: Six geese a-laying

What a great correlation to the first story of the Bible, the Creation account. God formed the world and everything in it, in a sense “hatching” an egg a day for six days.

1-God created the heavens and the earth.
2-God created the sky and seas.
3-God created the land and plants.
4-God created the sun, moon, and the stars.
5-God created the fish and birds.
6-God created the animals and man.

 

Photo courtesy of Simply Shar♥n under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

Photo courtesy of Kahunapule Michael Johnson under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)

 

7^th Day: Seven swans a-swimming

The seven swans, one of the most beautiful and graceful creatures on earth, represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are spiritual gifts that help us grow in holiness, experience God’s presence, and edify the Body of Christ.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.  –Romans 12:6-8  (NIV)

1-Prophecy
2-Serving
3-Teaching
4-Encouraging
5-Giving
6-Leading
7-Extend mercy

 

8^th Day: Eight maids-a-milking

Jesus came to save everyone—from the servant to royalty. In the song, these milkmaids represent those who receive His Word and grace and the eight Beatitudes.

Blessed are…

1-the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2-those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
3-the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
4-those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
5-the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
6-the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
7-the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
8-they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  –Matthew 5:3-10  (ESV)

 

9^th Day: Nine ladies dancing

The nine ladies dancing symbolize the gifts known as the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is observable behaviors in people that flow from the Holy Spirit’s presence in them.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: 

1-Love
2-Joy
3-Peace
4-Patience
5-Kindness
6-Goodness
7-Faithfulness
8-Gentleness
9-Self-control  –Galatians 5:22-23  (NLT)

 

10th Day: Ten lords a-leaping

How perfect to see the ten lords a-leaping, who were judges and in charge of the law, represent the Ten Commandments.

1-Thou shall have no other gods before me.
2-Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
3-Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4-Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.
5-Honor thy father and mother.
6-Thou shalt not kill.
7-Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8-Thou shalt not steal.
9-Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10-Thou shalt not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, servant, animals or anything. –Exodus 20:2-17  (NIV)

 

11^th Day: Eleven pipers piping

The eleven faithful disciples who followed Jesus through until the end symbolize the eleven pipers piping. Judas Iscariot, the twelfth original disciple, betrayed Jesus and felt so bad that he committed suicide. The eleven continued to carry the gospel message.

1-Simon (whom He named Peter)
2-Andrew
3-James, son of Zebedee
4-John
5-Philip
6-Bartholomew
7-Thomas
8-Matthew, the tax collector
9-James, son of Alphaeus
10-Thaddeus
11-Simon, the Zealot

 

12^th Day: Twelve drummers drumming

The final gift of the twelve drummers drumming represents the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed.

1-I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
2-I believe in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord.
3-He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
4-He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
5-He descended into hell. On the third day, He rose again.
6-He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
7-He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
8-I believe in the Holy Spirit,
9-the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
10-the forgiveness of sins,
11-the resurrection of the body,
12-and life everlasting.

 

Photo courtesy of Simply Shar♥n under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

I find it symbolic in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song that each day the first gift, the gift of Jesus, is given all twelve days of Christmas. Indeed, Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving! Jesus is the greatest gift!

On that note, noticing that the gifts are cumulative, for any ‘numbers’ people, can you guess how many gifts are given throughout the whole twelve days? Feel free to figure it out and check my math; I’ll post the answer at the end. *

 

Be encouraged this week to…

…thank God for the greatest gift of all time–Jesus!

…reflect on the beauty of all of God’s creations.

…work on sharing one fruit of the Spirit that challenges you to grow.

 

REFLECTION:

Have you reflected on and thanked God for a spiritual gift that you possess?
Which beatitude is most meaningful to you?

*There are a total of 364 gifts– enough to last until next Christmas!

 

After they [the Magi] had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  –Matthew 2:9-11  (NIV)