On this day,
I pause to remember those I have loved.
This Christmas Day, may we behold all gifts given and received,
—Rev. Kurt Condra
extravagant and humble, tangible and intangible, tiny and towering with awe and wonder. And in the beholding, may the healing, harmonizing power of the Christ’s infinite love be born in each of us and all the world.
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
“Twelve Days of Christmas,” the phrase refers to an actual 12-day period. The 12 days of Christmas, in fact, are the days from Dec. 25, celebrated as the birth of Jesus Christ, to the Epiphany, celebrated on Jan. 6 as the day when the manifestation of Christ’s glory was realized.
Here are the verses of the song, 12 Days of Christmas, along with their supposed symbolism:
- A Partridge in a Pear Tree – Jesus Christ
- Two Turtle Doves – The Old and New Testaments
- Three French Hens – The three virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity
- Four Calling/Collie Birds – Four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
- Five Golden Rings – First five books of the Old Testament
- Six Geese-a-Laying – Six days of creation before God’s rest on the seventh day
- Seven Swans-a-Swimming – Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Eight Maids-a-Milking – Eight Beatitudes
- Nine Ladies Dancing – Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
- Ten Lords-a-Leaping – Ten Commandments
- Eleven Pipers Piping – Eleven faithful disciples
- Twelve Drummers Drumming –Twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed
Christmas Day is the first of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
On a personal note, in 2019 I created a series of articles on the 12 Days of Christmas. That time, I decided to play around and search for meaning and wisdom in the song ’12 Days of Christmas’ in order to find guidance during this Holy time.
HOW IT ALL STARTED? READ MORE
On the last day of the 12-day-of-Christmas, Christians observe Epiphany or enlightenment when the Holy Spirit enlightens the ‘faithful’ with wisdom and revelations of Christ’s teachings. The 12 days of Christmas is the bridge between Christmas Day and the day of Epiphany. On Christmas day, ‘my true love’ aka God gives me my first gift of Christ, the promise of enlightenment, atonement and eternal life. By the time we walked the bride of the 12-day across, we have collected and regained certain qualities that we must possess in order to observe the revelations and receive the Holy Spirit on the day of Epiphany.
I wish to observe these twelve days through the famous song and research the meaning in the symbolism of the song.
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