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
who won't come out of the pear tree
have to do with Christmas?
Today, I found out.
From 1558 until 1829,
Roman Catholics in England werenot permitted
to practice their faith openly.
Someone during that era wrote 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 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 belief
in the Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today.
This knowledge was shared with me
and I found it interesting and enlightening
and now I know how that strange song
became a Christmas Carol . . .
