Sicilian Culture: News: Christmas Carol Origins

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Christmas Carol Origins

Thanks to Franco Giannotti, Publisher of "ITALY IN ST LOUIS" Web Site, who also sends out an E-NEWSLETTER, for the following. From the Current Issue #17. Please indulge me, in that this matter has no connection with Italian American or Italian, but I wanted to share this with you particularly because I've seen at least four different News Teams, who were in a near state of apoplexy, trying to make sense out of the words of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". Here we have the answer!
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS - Thanks to Dominic Tassone for sharing this with us.
What in the world do Leaping Lords, French Hens, Swimming Swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the Pear Tree have to do with Christmas?
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning, plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.
Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality whichthe children could remember.
- The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
- The two turtledoves were the Old and New Testaments
- The three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
- The four calling birds were the four gospels of: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
- The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law and the first five books of the Old Testament.
- The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
- The seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit -- Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
- The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
- The nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit -- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
- The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.
- The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
- The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
I found it so interesting and enlightening to now know how that strange Christmas Carol came into being.

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