Although the precise origins of the song “The 12 Days of Christmas” are unclear, the first published version appeared in England in 1780. That first version was printed in a children’s book as a rhyme, without music, that scholars say was intended as a memory game. Others think that the song was actually written as a religious song with “hidden meanings”. In the late 20th century, two published works suggested that. In 1982, Fr. Hal Stockert, a priest from Granville, N.Y., wrote an article claiming that the song had originally been used to teach children the true meaning of Christmas at a time when practicing Catholicism was illegal in Britain (1558-1829). Hugh D. McKellar, a Canadian musicologist, published a similar thesis, “How to Decode the Twelve Days of Christmas,” in 1994. But no one knows for sure. I personally think it was simply a memory game that someone put to music and put it in the ‘lineup’ of songs that carolers sang during the Advent Season, sending out the misconception that the 12 days started on December 13 and ran to the 25th—And why most people these days get their Christmas trees out to the curb as early as December 26th, when good old tradition with a small “t” for centuries was to put the tree up on December 24th and take it down on January 5th.
As I list the 12 days as they are celebrated in the Catholic Church below, the ‘gifts’ and the hidden meanings that Father Stockert proposed will be in parentheses.
The First Day of Christmas (1 partridge in a pear tree: Jesus Christ, the Son of God)
December 25th
The First Day of Christmas is, of course, Christmas Day, the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the Gospels, you can read about the birth of Jesus in the 1st Chapter of Matthew, and the 2nd Chapter of Luke.
The Second Day of Christmas (2 turtledoves: The Old and New Testaments)
December 26th
We celebrate the feast of Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr, the first Christian to die for his faith in Christ. For that reason, he is often called protomartyr (the first martyr). Likewise, he is often called protodeacon, because he is the first of the deacons mentioned in the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
The Third Day of Christmas (3 French hens: the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity)
December 27th
This day celebrates the life of Saint John the Evangelist, “the disciple whom Christ loved,” and the only one of the Apostles not to die a martyr’s death. But he nonetheless is honored as a martyr for the incidents that he suffered while proclaiming the Faith of Christ.
The Fourth Day of Christmas (4 calling birds: the four gospels and/or the four evangelists [Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John])
December 28th
The fourth day of Christmas honors the memory of the Holy Innocents, all of the young boys slaughtered at the command of King Herod when he hoped to kill the newborn Jesus.
The Fifth Day of Christmas (5 golden rings: the first five books of the Old Testament)
December 29th
On this day, the Catholic Church celebrates the faith of St. Thomas Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury, who was martyred for his defense of the rights of the Church against King Henry II.
The Sixth Day of Christmas (6 geese a-laying: the six days of creation)
December 30th
On this day, the faithful celebrate the Holy Family—the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus; Saint Joseph, His foster father; and Christ Himself. Together, they form the model for all Christian families.
The Seventh Day of Christmas (7 swans a-swimming: the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and/or the seven sacraments)
December 31st
The seventh day of Christmas celebrates the life of Saint Sylvester, the pope who reigned during the incredibly tumultuous times of the Donatist schism and the Arian heresy in the fourth century A.D.
The Eighth Day of Christmas (8 maids a-milking: the eight Beatitudes)
January 1st
We honor the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Faithful worshippers recite special prayers to honor the role that the Blessed Virgin Mary played in Christian salvation and devotion to Jesus Christ. It is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics and observed just as if it were a Sunday, no matter what day of the week it falls on.
The Ninth Day of Christmas (9 ladies dancing: the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit) In the Catholic Church, we use the Latin translation of the Bible, which lists 12 fruits….
January 2nd
On the ninth day of Christmas, the faithful celebrate two of the original Eastern Doctors of the Church: Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen. Both bore witness to the orthodox Christian teaching in the face of the Arian heresy.
The Tenth Day of Christmas (10 lords a-leaping: the 10 Commandments)
January 3rd
Today, Catholics venerate the Holy Name of Jesus, at which “every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11).
The Eleventh Day of Christmas (11 pipers piping: the 11 faithful disciples [minus Judas, who betrayed Christ])
January 4th
This day is set aside to honor Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821), or Mother Seton as she is often known, who was the first native-born American saint to be canonized.
The Twelfth Day of Christmas (12 drummers drumming: the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed)
January 5th
On the final day of Christmas, the faithful celebrate the feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord, the day on which Christ’s divinity was revealed to the Gentiles in the form of the Three Wise Men.
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