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About The Author:

Born an Air Force brat in Japan in 1966, traveled half the world by the time I was 7. Grew up from the age of 7 to 18 in Minnesota then I started to search for a place to plant my roots...Wyoming, Arizona didn't work but wow those roots run deep in the midwest...I'm proud to say I have spent half of my life on 92.3 WIL! On the air M-F 2-7pm.
Keep it movin'
Bo
Updated 602 Days ago

What does the 12 days of Christmas mean anyway...I love this.

by Bo Matthews
  • The Story
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replying the story in its archived form does not constitute a re-publiccation of the story.

 

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffles us. 
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 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.


-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.


-Two 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 & 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-swimming 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.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now you know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.'

Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone!!!

 

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12 days christmas bo

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