A well-known Christmas carol called “Twelve Days of Christmas” lists a wide variety of gifts, including many kinds of birds. The birds named in the song are listed as follows:
Meaning Of Twelve Days of Christmas
“The Twelve Days of Christmas.” spans Dec 25 to Jan 6 .Each point represents a different gift given on each of the twelve days leading up to Epiphany (January 6th).Epiphany, also known as Three Kings’ Day, is a Christian holiday celebrated on January 6. It marks two events in Jesus Christ’s life
- A Partridge (In A Pear Tree): The first gift, a partridge in a pear tree, represents Jesus Christ. It’s a symbol of him as the Savior.
- Two Turtle Doves: A pair of doves symbolizes love and peace.
- Three French Hens: Three hens could represent faith, hope, and charity or might symbolize the Holy Trinity.
- Four Calling Birds: Originally “colly birds,” possibly blackbirds. It might represent the four Gospels or virtues like honesty, loyalty, etc.
- Five Gold Rings: Often interpreted as golden rings or bands. They might symbolize various things, like the first five books of the Old Testament or love and commitment.
- Six Geese A-Laying: Represents the six days of creation or possibly the six attributes of the Holy Spirit.
- Seven Swans A-Swimming: Swans denote purity and might represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit or the seven sacraments.
- Eight Maids A-Milking: Could represent various things, such as the eight beatitudes or the eight days of creation.
- Nine Ladies Dancing: Possibly representing the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit or the nine ranks of angels.
- Ten Lords A-Leaping: Some interpretations associate them with the Ten Commandments or might represent authority figures.
- Eleven Pipers Piping: Could symbolize the eleven faithful apostles after Judas Iscariot’s betrayal.
- Twelve Drummers Drumming: These might represent the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed or the twelve apostles.
Each of these gifts is symbolic, carrying religious connotations and significance.As you can see, the song mentions other presents besides birds. Out of the twelve days, only seven speak of birds.
Roots and Evolution of the Song
The song is cumulative in nature, detailing a sequence of presents that the speaker’s “true love” bestows upon them on each of the twelve Christmas days. The song’s lyrics were first published in England in the latter part of the seventeenth century.
Although the song has been linked to numerous melodies, the most well-known comes from an arrangement by English composer Frederic Austin from 1909.
According to some historians, the song first appeared in a kid’s “memory-and-forfeit” game. Each player would alternate between adding new verses and restating older ones. A child would lose a tiny prize if they failed to remember a verse.
The English children’s book Mirth Without Mischief originally published the lyrics to “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in 1780.
Twelve Days of Christmas in Christian Theology
In Christian theology, the 12 days of Christmas correspond to the period of time between Jesus’ birth and the coming of the Magi, or three wise men. Christmas Day, December 25, marks the start of the 12-day period, which ends on January 6 (the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings’ Day).
What would the price of the Twelve Days of Christmas be?
The 12 gifts from the song “Twelve Days of Christmas” cost $46,729.86, based on PNC Financial Services’ 2023 Christmas Price Index. This represents a 2.7% increase from 2022 and an all-time high.
The 40th annual report that tracks the average change in present costs in the holiday market is the 2023 Christmas Price Index. This year’s 2.7% increase in gift costs is less than the 10.5% increase from the previous year.
Purchasing all 12 goods online will set you back $52,024.03, or 4.8% more than in 2022.
