Fw: Fwd:FW: The 12 Days Of Christmas

[Guest guest]

>>>>> >Has anyone else heard this before?> > ***********************************************> > You may already know this, but I thought it interesting. 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 whowon't> >come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? Today I found out,> >thanks to the Internet. From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in Englandwere> >not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that erawrote> >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 membersof> >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 turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.> >> >Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.> >> >The four calling birds were the four gospels of , Mark, Luke & .> >> >The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books ofthe> >Old Testament.> >> >The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.> >> >Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the HolySpirit:> >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 inthe> >Apostles' Creed.> >> >So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me andI> >found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strangesong> >became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.>>>>