Five Golden RIngs

It has been an unsettling year. The topsy-turvy economy has many of us afraid to open our mail or turn on the television. The world as we knew it 6 months ago seems light-years away. When times are uncertain, things that stay the same are reassuring and comforting. Could there be anything more comforting than the traditions and symbols of Christmas? Friends and Family. A decorated tree. Cut-out cookies with icing and sprinkles. Children on Santa's lap. Christmas Eve Service. Christmas Carols. Joy to the World. Silent Night. Hark the Herald Angels Sing. And of course, the traditional carol heard in every mall and elevator in America, The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Have you ever wondered what in the world the lyrics mean? Leaping Lords? French Hens? Swimming Swans? What does that Partridge perched in the Pear Tree have to do with Christmas? The information came my way this year and I thought I would share it. Similar to the orgin of nursery rhymes, it turns out The Twelve Days of Christmas is a political statement.

Remember the little problem Henry VIII had with the Roman Catholic Church? He wanted to divorce Katherine of Aragon to marry the fetching and hopefully fertile Anne Boleyn. The Pope ixnaid the divorce, so Henry tossed Catholicism out of Britain and replaced it with the Church of England. From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

The Carol has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of 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 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 be Apostles Creed

Who knew we were making a political statement all these years? Enough history.Take a deep breath. Christmas is coming!