What Are The 12 Days Of
Christmas?

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is heard everywhere from shopping malls to television commercials to church functions.
Everywhere you go, you can hear about Two Turtle Doves, Seven Swans-a-Swimming and Eleven Pipers Piping. But what does any of this mean? What does a song about doves, hens and geese have to do with Christmas?

The carol has its roots in 18th-century England, as a memory-and-forfeit game sung by British children. In the game, players had to remember all of the previous verses and add a new verse at the end.
Those unable to remember a verse paid a forfeit, in the form of a kiss or a piece of candy to the others.
One theory, however, connects the carol to the era when Catholicism was outlawed in England, from 1558 and 1829. The carol, it is said, was a catechism song for Catholics to learn "the tenets of their faith," as they could not openly practice in Anglican society [source: Snopes.com]. While many still hold the idea of a coded hymn to be true, there's no substantive evidence that this was the case, nor is there any evidence that the verses contain anything uniquely Catholic.
Here are the verses of the song, 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

[Source: BBC.com]

While these verses are what most of us associate with the "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.

While sects of Christianity celebrate the 12 days of Christmas differently, certain ones, such as the Eastern Orthodox Church, consider the Epiphany to be the most important day of the Christmas season.

Some exchange gifts on each of the 12 days instead of only on Christmas day.

Source: http://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/twelve-days-christmas.htm

Noted

Is judah le escariote amongs d eleven faithful disciples

I love that song

Khd95:
Is judah le escariote amongs d eleven faithful disciples

Funny question, there are 12 disciples, 1 was a betrayer,, if only 11 was honoured, would the betrayer be among ?

Anyways, No Judahs is not among

Hundreddegrees:
I love that song

Yeah, me too,, always trying not to make a mistake

tobillionaire:
Noted

Okay

Nice one OP

Thanks

lalasticlala & RoyalRay, am sure you guys don't know this, why don't let us educate Nairalanders, i actually had to Google it when an arguement was raised based on when the 12 days started, some believed it started 12 days before 25th of December while others thought it was 12 days after 25th, so lets move this thread to FP please,, people need to know because a presenter at Wazobia 1/max thought it was 12 days to 25th and she keeps saying it daily.

Do i have to call Tonto dike now ?

shumuel:
lalasticlala & RoyalRay, am sure you guys don't know this, why don't let us educate Nairalanders, i actually had to Google it when an arguement was raised based on when the 12 days started, some believed it started 12 days before 25th of December while others thought it was 12 days after 25th, so lets move this thread to FP please,, people need to know because a presenter at Wazobia 1/max thought it was 12 days to 25th and she keeps saying it daily.

Do i have to call Tonto dike now ?

Lolz oremi, calm down nah

bukatyne:
Nice one OP

Thanks

you are most welcome, so now you know, can't wait for 25th, i'll post each on the days the fall on

Aminat508:
Lolz oremi, calm down nah

kikiki Lol, ha shey won mo pe owo ni mo fi shey research ni, MTN ti won ton ji data leyin ti won ti ji gbogbo credit me, maa binu gaa ni ti won ba move e o ode maa dun mi naa.

Anyways, jokes is not all we about on NL we are here to educate and be educated as well.

Compliments

shumuel:


kikiki Lol, ha shey won mo pe owo ni mo fi shey research ni, MTN ti won ton ji data leyin ti won ti ji gbogbo credit me, maa binu gaa ni ti won ba move e o ode maa dun mi naa.

Anyways, jokes is not all we about on NL we are here to educate and be educated as well.

Compliments

am out ,make i no derail your thread. It FP worthy
Cheers

Aminat508:
am out ,make i no derail your thread. It FP worthy
Cheers

Thanks dear