A few years ago (I don’t actually remember when), I received
a book titled Stories Behind the Great Traditions of
Christmas by Ace Collins. It is a great little book. It’s an easy read.
It is full of history and legend and religion (all stuff I love).
Every year about Thanksgiving when we pull out our Christmas
decorations I search for this book. For the whole month of December, and into
January when we put our decorations up, this book finds a permanent home either
on my bedside table or on the table next to my
chair in the living room.
I recently read an excerpt that I would like to share with
you to help us remember the importance of this season and what CHRISTmas truly
is about for all of us. It is the true meaning of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
“To many people, the
lyrics of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” seem strange beyond belief.
The odd carol’s words might make one think it is a novelty song, in the vein of
“Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” Though a host of modern internet sites
and some magazine articles have tried to reduce “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
to little more than a silly Christmas carol, in fact most scholars of the
Catholic Church deem it a very important surviving example of a time when that
denomination used codes to disguise their teachings…”
“By understanding why
the clerics chose the twelve days as a wrapping for their poem, the full impact
of the lost tradition of the twelve days of Christmas can be understood…”
“ Teaching the
Catholic faith was outlawed in sixteenth century England. Those who instructed
their children in Catholicism could be drawn and quartered. Thus, the church
went underground. To hide the important and illegal elements of their teaching,
clerics composed poems that seemed silly to most people. But these verses were
veiled works that taught the church’s most important tenets...”
“Before translating
the code locked inside this poem…, one needs to know the dates of the twelve
days of Christmas and why they were important long before Britain outlawed all
religions except the one endorsed by the king. Most people today believe that
that twelve days of Christmas start on December 12th or 13th
and run through Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. But in fact, the first day of
Christmas is December 25th and the final day is January 5th…”
“For Christians who lived during this
extremely difficult age, the twelve days were a time of rededication and
renewal. It was also a period when small, simple and usually symbolic gifts of
faith were given to children. Thus, in both coded poems and public worship, the
twelve days were considered a holy period...”
“In ancient times,
when most societies were rural, few people worked in the dead of winter. It was
a time when many were spending long, dark days inside their homes, looking
forward to winter’s chill giving way to the spring thaw. So devoting a dozen
days to prayer, reflection, and attending church was not a huge undertaking.
Yet with the coming of the Industrial Age and the regular year-round work
schedules it brought, finding time to continue the activities that had been traditionally
associated with the twelve days of Christmas became all but impossible for most
people. So the passing of the twelve-days custom probably had as much to do
with ‘progress’ as with anything else…”
“As fewer and fewer
churches and families participated in the tradition, it was all but lost. Yet
in the obscure poem that was later turned into a popular carol, ‘The Twelve
Days of Christmas’ live on. And the twelve days described are actually a
wonderful and complete picture of the Christian faith.”
“The ‘true love’
mentioned in the song is not a sweetheart but the Catholic Church’s code for
God. The person who receives the gifts represents anyone who has accepted
Christ as the Son of God and as Savior. And each of the gifts portrays an
important facet of the story of true faith…”
“On the first day of
Christmas my true love gave to me . . . a partridge in a pear tree. The
partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose birthday we
celebrate on the first day of Christmas. Christ is symbolically presented as a
mother partridge, the only bird that will die to protect its young.”
“On the second day of
Christmas my true love gave to me . . . two turtledoves. These twin birds
represent the Old and New Testaments. So in this gift, the singer finds the
complete story of Judeo-Christian faith and God’s plan for the world. The doves
are the biblical roadmap that is available to everyone.”
“On the third day of
Christmas my true love gave to me . . . three French hens. These birds represent
faith, hope and love. This gift harkens back to 1 Corinthians 13, the love
chapter written by the apostle Paul.”
“On the fourth day of
Christmas my true love gave to me . . . four calling birds. One of the easiest
facets of the song’s code to figure out, these fowl are the four Gospels –
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.”
“On the fifth day of
Christmas my true love gave to me . . . five gold rings. The gift of the rings
represents the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the
Pentateuch.”
“On the sixth day of
Christmas my true love gave to me . . . six geese a-laying. These lyrics can be
traced back to the first story found in the Bible. Each egg is a day in
creation, a time when the world was ‘hatched’ or formed by God.
“On the seventh day of
Christmas my true love gave to me . . . seven swans a-swimming. It would take
someone quite familiar with the Bible to identify this gift. Hidden in the code
are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation,
giving, leading, and compassion. As swans are one of the most beautiful and
graceful creatures on earth, they would seem to be a perfect symbol for the
spiritual gifts.”
“On the eighth day of
Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eight maids a-milking. As Christ came
to save even the lowest of the low, this gift represents the ones who would
receive his word and accept his grace. Being a milk maid was about the worst
job one could have in England during this period; this code conveyed that Jesus
cared as much about servants as he did those of royal blood. The eight who were
blessed included the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the
peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”
“On the ninth day of
Christmas my true love gave to me . . . nine ladies dancing. These nine dancers
were really the gifts know as the fruit of the Spirit. The fruits are love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control.”
“On the tenth day of
Christmas my true love gave to me . . . ten lords a-leaping. This is probably
the easiest gift to understand. As lords were judges and in charge of the law,
this code for the Ten Commandments was fairly straightforward to Catholics.”
“On the eleventh day
of Christmas my true love gave to me . . . eleven pipers piping. This is almost
a trick question, as most think of the disciples in terms of a dozen. But when
Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, there were only eleven men who
carried out the gospel message.”
“On the twelfth day of
Christmas my true love gave to me . . . twelve drummers drumming. The final
gift is tied directly to the Catholic Church. The drummers are the twelve
points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed. “I believe in God, the Father
almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son,
our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the
Virgin Mary, He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was
buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended
into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again
to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy
catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.”
A silly song? On the surface, perhaps, but in reality a
refreshing reminder of the essential elements of the Christian faith.
Merry CHRISTmas everyone! I hope whatever your traditions
are, they are full of faith, hope, love and that you are surrounded by more
friends and family than you can count. This year has been great for us and I know 2013 will be even more promising!
From my family to yours, we wish you a
very Merry CHRISTmas and a very safe, happy and prosperous New Year!
Larkin
No comments:
Post a Comment