The 12 Days of Christmas

Following Christmas Day, the Church celebrates twelve days called “The Octaves of Christmas”.  The first Octave Day is on Dec. 25, Christmas Day.  Advent was a season of preparation for the coming of the Lord – and now we celebrated his coming.   

“On the 8th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...“Everyone is familiar with the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” We are reminded that Christmas is not just one day.  The carol reminds us there are twelve days of Christmas that lead up to January 6^th and the celebration of the Epiphany.

The Octaves of Christmas are filled with reminders of what Christmas means in our faith lives.   “Octave means an eight-day celebration, that is, the prolongation of a feast to the eighth day... Christmas day is considered the first day, and it is followed by six days called “days within the octave.” The eighth or octave day is made on January 1^st.” (With Christ through the Year, by Bernard Strasser).

Why eight days?  The number 8 is supposed to represent perfection or rest.  The various Old Testament feasts lasted seven days, with the eighth day a day of rest.  The Jewish week begins on Sunday, ends on a Sabbath day of Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, and the eighth day, Sunday is a day of rest.  Jesus was taken to the Temple by Mary and Joseph, for his circumcision, and his name was given as “Jesus”, on the eighth day.

The twelve days of Christmas made popular by the Carol, are memorial days alongside the Octave days leading up to the Epiphany celebration.  While the tune is filled with interesting lyrics such as “a partridge in a pear tree”, “two turtle doves”, “three French hens”, “four calling birds”, and the grand and famous, “Five Golden Rings”, etc. there is meaning in each of these references. 

The background to this song lies in England.  Henry VIII had proclaimed himself the head of an English Church, rejecting the oversight of the Pope in Rome.  He did so because he wanted to divorce his current wife to marry another woman  - who he hoped would bear him a Son for his throne.  Henry did not just usurp the Catholic Church, he oppressed any that opposed his rebellion to Rome.  It became dangerous to be a Catholic in England.  As the English church began to exercise its rule, more and more Catholic clergy became martyrs as they were arrested, tried, hanged, drawn, and quartered for their unwillingness to accept Henry’s authority.

The Twelve Days of Christmas seemed like a child’s song of nonsensical things, but each reference taught children the truths of the orthodox faith in a time when expressing one’s faith was subject to death.  Children learned the song to learn the truth of their faith:

1^st Day – A Partridge in a pear tree symbolized Jesus Christ who hung on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins.

2^nd Day – Two Turtle Doves symbolized the truth of God’s word in the Old and New Testaments.

3^rd Day – Three French hens symbolized the theological virtues of “faith, hope, and love”.

4^th Day – Four calling birds symbolized the four Gospel letters of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that proclaimed the good news.

5^th Day – Five Gold Rings symbolized the first five books of the Old Testament – The Pentateuch, or Torah – that gave us the Law and God’s Covenant to his people.

6^th Day – Six Geese a-laying symbolized the six days of Creation, and the power of God to have created the heavens and the earth for mankind.

7^th Day – Seven swans a-swimming symbolized the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:  Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Courage, Knowledge, Piety, and the Fear of the Lord.

8^th Day – Eight maids a-milking symbolized the eight Beatitudes that Jesus proclaimed as he opened his teaching – the Sermon – on the mount.  (see Matt. 5:1ff).

9^th Day – Nine ladies dancing symbolizes the nine fruit of the Holy Spirit:  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. (see Galatians 5).

10^th Day – Ten Lords a-leaping symbolizes the Ten Commandments which serve as the foundation of the entire Law which leads us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart…and your neighbor.”

11^th Day – Eleven Pipers piping symbolizes the eleven Apostles who stayed true to Jesus (despite their failures):  Peter, James, John, Andrew, James the Younger, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, Simon the Zealot, and Jude.

12^th Day – Twelve drummers drumming ends this song with a reminder that the Apostles Creed has twelve points of doctrine which is the core of Christian doctrine:

1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.
5. On the third day, he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
6. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
7. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
8. the holy catholic Church,
9. the communion of saints,
10. the forgiveness of sins,
11. the resurrection of the body,
12. and life everlasting. Amen.

At the end of the twelve days of Christmas, the Church celebrates the “Epiphany”, a word that means “An Unveiling”, and refers to the visit of the Magi – the learned ones who traveled from Persia to discover the King.  They are the first of the Gentiles to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. 

These eight days between Christmas and New Year's – the Octaves – are celebrations that are worth participating in.  The twelve days that encompass these, lead us to an understanding of all that God had in mind when he sent his Son into the World – “to save His people, His creation, from their sin.”

 

Peace