The Twelve Days of Christmas When you think of the Christmas song, "The Twelve days of Christmas" what thoughts come to mind? Perhaps you think: "Boy that's a long song!" Or, "What's with those Lords a leaping, anyway?" But what most people don't realize is that the "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was created to be a teaching aid. The song is an allegory. Each of the items in the song represents something of religious significance. The hidden meaning of each gift was designed to help young Christians learn their faith during a time of persecution.       The song goes, "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me..." The "true love" represents God and the "me" who receives these presents is the Christian.  The "partridge in a pear tree" was Jesus Christ who died on a tree as a gift from God.  The "two turtle doves" were the Old and New Testaments - another gift from God.  The "three French hens" were faith hope and love - the three gifts of the Spirit that abide (1 Corinthians 13).  The "four calling birds" were the four Gospels which sing the song of salvation through Jesus Christ.  The "five golden rings" were the first five books of the Bible.  The "six geese a-laying" were the six days of creation.  The "seven swans a swimming" were "seven gifts of the Holy Spirit" (I Cor 12:8-11, Rom 12, Eph 4, 1 Pet 4:10-11).  The "eight maids a milking" were the eight beatitudes.  The "nine ladies dancing" were nine fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  The "ten lords a-leaping" were the Ten Commandments.  The "eleven pipers piping" were the eleven faithful disciples.  The "twelve drummers drumming" were the twelve points of the Apostles' Creed.       This otherwise non-religious sounding song is really a song born out of the Christian faith.  It reminds us that even though much of the sacred part of Christmas has been covered with the secular, the covering is only paper thin!  All we have to do is pull off garish garnish and the tarnished tinsel to reveal the brilliant, golden truth.  Just beneath the surface of the most crass Christmas imaginable continues to beat the pure, loving heart of Christ!   Please take time out of your busy schedule to remember the birth of Jesus.

             

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