The Twelve Days of Christmas

Dear Editor,

I am writing to you about the "Twelve Days of Christmas" which begin on December 25 and end on January 5 which is Twelfth Night. The twelve days of Christmas are not a twelve day countdown for shopping until Christmas Day. I know that Christmas and Mother's Day are the two busiest shopping times and that business can be made or broken by how well the shopping season has gone. (Can't businesses advertise that there are twelve more shopping days until Christmas begins if they want to make the most of last minute shoppers.) You might say, "Who cares?" "So what?"

Well, it is important because I hear from so many people that they believe Christmas is being taken away from them because they can't say "Merry Christmas" any more. No one is taking Christmas away from them; they are giving it away by not knowing about their own traditions. I met a young man at a local restaurant's drive-thru window who was sure that Jesus was born on December 23. I tried to gently suggest that Jesus' birthday is celebrated on December 25, but this young man could not be convinced. We can share whatever we want to in a greeting-Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or Happy Hanukkah. I, myself, like to say, "Blessings of this Season to you," since I don't know what someone's tradition might be.

"So what," you might say again. Well, I think 2020 has been a year I would not like to repeat, and I need a little Christmas hope and promise this year. I have always enjoyed the twelve days of Christmas as a time when school was out, finals were over and I got to visit with my family and friends, play games, and just catch up and be in each other's presence with joy and love, making good memories for years to come.

In 1979 Hugh McKellar, a Canadian hymnologist published an article entitled "How to Decode the Twelve Days of Christmas" in which he suggested that "The Twelve Days of Christmas" lyrics were intended as a catechism song to help young English Catholics learn their faith, at a time when practicing Catholicism was against the law (from 1558 until 1829). He did some research and interviewed some old villagers in Northern England and Scotland and was told of the following mnemonic aid which was developed to help children learn the important elements of the Christian faith:

• 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 Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.​

• The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.​

• The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.​

• Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit - 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 in the Apostles' Creed.

There are those scholars who debate this understanding of this carol, but so what. If nothing else it reminds us all of the teachings of our faith that have come down from Jesus himself as to what it means to be a faithful Christian, a good neighbor and a good member of a community.

So, Blessings of this season to us all,

Sincerely,

Pastor Susan Watterson

Glasgow, Mont.