MIIONIA-L Archives

From: Linda Susan Ruttschaw <>
Subject: Re: [MIIONIA] MIIONIA Digest, Vol 1, Issue 26
Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2006 08:54:06 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <mailman.109.1166940008.2822.miionia@rootsweb.com>

Thank You Pam

wrote:

Today's Topics:

1. Twelve Days of Christmas (Pam Swiler)


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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2006 18:16:40 -0500
From: "Pam Swiler"

Subject: [MIIONIA] Twelve Days of Christmas
To: "Ionia County Mail List"
Message-ID: <013601c726e8$713b7a60$>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I don?t know if this is 100% factual, but I thought it was thought provoking
enough that I would share it with you this holiday season?.Merry Christmas,
and May God fill your lives with many blessings!

The Story Behind The 12 Days Of Christmas

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.
What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and
especially the partridge that 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
which the children could remember.

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

Two turtledoves were the Old and New Testaments.

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, the first five books of the
Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

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.

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.

So there is your history for today.

This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and
enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas carol.

May God grant you peace and happiness throughout this Holiday Season!


Pamela K. Swiler, President
Ionia County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 516
Lake Odessa, MI 48849-0516
http://www.rootsweb.com/~miionia/
?
?





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End of MIIONIA Digest, Vol 1, Issue 26
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• Re: [MIIONIA] MIIONIA Digest, Vol 1, Issue 26 by Linda Susan Ruttschaw <>