So let's
dig into this "Twelve Days of Christmas" thing.
I'm
thinking it began, way back whenever, as a transparent way to take
advantage of this new Christian holiday to legitimize a period of dark-season feasting
-- visiting, socializing, goofing off -- that pagan societies had long built
into their solar-based calendar. In the northern lands, at least, the balance
point of the whole year is the Winter Solstice, or 'shortest day of the year.' Once
they had established a calendar, people were happy to see the winter solstice arrive
because it meant that the days would begin to get a little longer. When the sun
rises sufficiently high and the periods of sunlight grow long enough to
warm the earth, the green world begins to grow again, it's possible to start
planting, and it appears humanity won't starve quite as quickly as our earlier
ancestors must have feared when the days kept getting shorter.
Or maybe
they were only pretending to be afraid. In any event, it was clearly time for a
party. The ancient Roman Saturnalia took place around this time, a period of
feast days ostensibly honoring Saturn, the god of the underworld who has
for a time succeeded in capturing the sun. Or, in one telling of the myth, in
capturing Persephone, Mother Earth's daughter. When Persephone is forced to go
underground for a certain period year to live with Saturn -- as a result of
negotiations with the girl's mother -- Earth shuts down in sorrow. (Some see
this as a feminist interpretation of marriage; but I digress.)
That cold
period is just beginning -- three months of winter -- so human beings might
also see this "solstice festival" period as a good time to relax
and party a while before the cold truly sets in and there's nothing to do but try to
stay warm and wait out the period of little or no fresh food, decreasing stores,
and not much to do.
The Christian
church came along and settled on twelve days for this festival, the period that
stretches from the birth of Jesus to the Feast of Epiphany. The word Epiphany means
'revelation' as in the revelation of the newborn savior to the three wisemen,
magi, or kings who have traveled afar to find him. Also called 'Three
Kings,' or 'Little Christmas,' Epiphany is an important holiday. For one thing, the
three kings brought gifts. Which is why we are still giving and receiving gifts
this time of year two thousand years later.
The holiday
of Epiphany, falling on either Jan. 5 or Jan. 6 (depending on how your tradition begins counting the days), is
particularly important to the Orthodox Christian church, the Greek-speaking
church spread through eastern Europe and western Asia from the time of the
Byzantine Empire -- in fact more important than Jesus's birthday. For many
followers of that church, you get your gifts on Jan. 5. By that accounting
you're still not late with a present if you get it there by Tuesday.
In some cultures, the gift-giving is spread out through this
period, one gift per day.
And
somewhere along the line, tradition gave us a song about those twelve days as
well. In my family's annual celebration (on good old Dec. 25), singing the song itself has become a tradition.
Interestingly,
various attempts at explanation have grown up to account for the weird
assortment of 'presents' the 'true love' of the song bestows on us, something different for
each of the twelve days. Weirdest, or perhaps most intriguing, of these is the
idea that different gifts are mnemonic devices for catechism, that is, the recall of important
doctrinal messages. One further speculation: the song was a device by persecuted Catholics in Tudor
England to teach theology.
To begin, we
have to understand that our 'true love' is -- drum roll -- God. And on the first
day, the nativity, he bestows on us -- a partridge? Well that turns out to be a
symbol for Christ. (I read the explanation; already forgotten.)
The two 'turtle
doves' are the two testaments of the Bible. The French hens are the 'three theological
virtues," faith, hope and love." I don't know how these virtues became
'French hens,' but the 'French' part is said by some commentators to indicate
the foreign origin of the song itself.
The four 'calling
birds' are of course the four gospels. And, interestingly, those five gold coins --
monotheism's gold standard -- are the five books of the Torah, the first five
books of the Bible.
The six
geese a-laying are the six days of creation (use your imagination). The seven
swans are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in the New Testament.
The eight maids a-milking (expect no further attempts at elucidation of the symbols)
are the eight beatitudes, Jesus's sermon that begins "Blessed are the
poor in spirit."
The nine dancing
ladies are 'the fruits of the Holy Spirit' (the list begins with 'love,' again
from a New Testament source). The 10 lords a-leaping are -- you guessed it -- the
famous commandments. The 11 pipers are the faithful apostles (11 is a hard
number to explain). And 12 drummers supposedly refer -- this depends I think on
some close textual analysis -- to the 12 doctrines avowed to in the creed.
Or maybe
not. In the absence of compelling evidence one way or another, most sources see
the song's origin as probably secular and folkish. Just a song people liked to
sing back then, just as they still do now.
Maybe we
should sing it again on the 12th Day of Christmas.
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