… Neutral reference books say this is nonsense. This was not originally a Catholic song, no matter what you hear on the Internet. As he told the Religion News Service in 2008: The late historian William Studwell, known for his Christmas carol expertise, also refuted the coded message idea. And second, if Christians were so restricted from practicing their faith that they had to conceal messages in a song, they also wouldn’t be able to celebrate Christmas in the first place - much less sing Christmas carols. The most egregious: First, the song’s gifts have nothing to do with their Christian “equivalents,” so the song is basically useless as a way to remember key pillars of the faith. Snopes has a great explanation of the many, many holes in its logic. This theory seems tailor-made for circulation via chain emails, but it actually makes little sense once you examine it. The partridge in the pear tree, naturally, represents Jesus Christ. Under that theory, the various gifts break down as follows, as the myth-debunking website Snopes explained:Ģ Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testamentsģ French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological VirtuesĤ Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelistsĥ Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch,” which gives the history of man’s fall from graceĦ Geese A-laying = the six days of creationħ Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacramentsĩ Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spiritġ0 Lords A-leaping = the Ten Commandmentsġ1 Pipers Piping = the 11 faithful apostlesġ2 Drummers Drumming = the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed In any case, the song most of us are familiar with today comes from an English composer named Frederic Austin in 1909, he set the melody and lyrics (including changing “colly” to “calling”) and added as his own flourish, the drawn-out cadence of “five go-old rings.” The song is not a coded primer on ChristianityĪ popular theory that’s made the internet rounds is that the lyrics to “The 12 Days of Christmas” are coded references to Christianity it posits that the song was written to help Christians learn and pass on the tenets of their faith while avoiding persecution. And some people theorize that the five gold rings actually refer to the markings of a ring-necked pheasant, which would align with the bird motif of the early verses. Early versions list four “colly” birds, an archaic term meaning black as coal (blackbirds, in other words). Some mention “bears a-baiting” or “ships a-sailing” some name the singer’s mother as the gift giver instead of their true love. Many variations of the lyrics have existed at different points. (A first edition of that book sold for $23,750 at a Sotheby’s auction in 2014, but you can also buy a digital copy on Amazon.) Some historians think the song could be French in origin, but most agree it was designed as a “memory and forfeits” game, in which singers tested their recall of the lyrics and had to award their opponents a “forfeit” - a kiss or a favor of some kind - if they made a mistake. The earliest known version first appeared in a 1780 children’s book called Mirth With-out Mischief. The history of the carol is somewhat murky. The song then adds a gift for each day, building on the verse before it, until you’re reciting all 12 gifts together: The version most people are familiar with today begins with this verse: The lyrics to “The 12 Days of Christmas” have changed over the years Each verse builds on the previous one, serving as a really effective way to annoy family members on road trips. “The 12 Days of Christmas” is also a Christmas carol in which the singer brags about all the cool gifts they received from their “true love” during the 12 days of Christmas. Stephen on December 26) and planning daily Christmas-related activities, but for many, things go back to business as usual after December 25. Some families choose to mark the 12-day period by observing the feast days of various saints (including St.
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