What Are the 12 Days of Christmas?

Few Christmas carols are as much fun to sing as "The 12 Days of Christmas." Each day, the gifts become more elaborate until a menagerie of people, animals, and objects have all been given to one very lucky true love. But there's more to this song than leaping lords and swimming swans. Some people think "The 12 Days of Christmas" is a religious song that carries veiled references to Catholic doctrines from a time when practicing the religion in Britain was illegal. The truth likely lies somewhere in between.

Historical Roots

Although the precise origins of the "The 12 Days of Christmas" are unclear, the first published version appeared in England in 1780. That first version was printed in a children's book as a rhyme, without music, that scholars say was intended as a memory game. Similar versions have also been found in the folk music traditions of Scotland, France, and the Faroe Islands dating from the same era.

Over the next 100-plus years, several variations of "The 12 Days of Christmas" were published in the United Kingdom, but it wasn't until the early 1900s that musical versions began to appear. The rendition that most people in the United States and United Kingdom sing today, with its drawn-out chorus of "five golden rings," was published in 1909 by British composer Frederic Austin.

A Secret Meaning?

In the late 20th century, two published works suggested that "The 12 Days of Christmas" was actually a religious song. In 1982, the Rev. Hal Stockert, a priest from Granville, N.Y., wrote an article (published online in 1995), claiming that the song had originally been used to teach children the true meaning of Christmas at a time when practicing Catholicism was illegal in Britain (1558–1829). Hugh D. McKellar, a Canadian musicologist, published a similar thesis, "How to Decode the Twelve Days of Christmas," in 1994. 

According to Stockert, the days had the following hidden Catholic meanings: 

• 1 partridge in a pear tree: Jesus Christ, the Son of God
• 2 turtledoves: the Old and New Testaments
• 3 French hens: the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity
• 4 calling birds: the four gospels and/or the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
• 5 golden rings: the first five books of the Old Testament
• 6 geese a-laying: the six days of creation
• 7 swans a-swimming: the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and/or the seven sacraments
• 8 maids a-milking: the eight beatitudes
• 9 ladies dancing: the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
• 10 lords a-leaping: the Ten Commandments
• 11 pipers piping: the 11 faithful disciples (minus Judas, who betrayed Christ)
• 12 drummers drumming: the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostles' Creed

However, despite the claims of Stockert and McKellar, little to no historical evidence exists to support their arguments. The debunking website Snopes.com has also published a detailed article on this refutation.

The Real 12 Days of Christmas

In Christian tradition, the true 12 days of Christmas is a holy time of celebration. The period begins Christmas Day and concludes Jan. 6 with Epiphany. Each of the feasts that are celebrated during this period deepens the real meaning of Christmas itself. You can learn more about this time of celebration below.