Jan 2nd: Familiar with the popular Christmas carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, you might have noticed that most of the gifts that the true love gives to the singer are birds. In fact, out of the 12 gifts, seven of them are avian: a partridge, two turtle doves, three French hens, four calling birds, six geese, and seven swans. But why are there so many birds in this song? And what do they symbolize?
There are different theories and interpretations about the origin and meaning of the song, but one of the most common is that it was a coded way for Catholics to express their faith in England during the 16th to 18th centuries when they were persecuted by the Anglican Church. According to this theory, each gift represents a religious concept or doctrine that Catholics had to hide from the authorities.
For example, the partridge in a pear tree is said to represent Jesus Christ, who is often depicted as a mother bird protecting her chicks. The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The three French hens are the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. The four calling birds are the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The six geese are the six days of creation. And the seven swans are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
So, as you can see, not all the gifts are birds, but most of them are. And they are not just random birds, but ones that have a symbolic meaning for Catholics. Of course, this is not the only possible explanation for the song, and some scholars have disputed its validity. But it is certainly an interesting and creative way to look at this festive tune.
By
Sujata Muguda
Shreyas WebMedia Solutions
