The song has probably gotten stuck in your head a whole bunch, but have you given any thought to the meaning behind it?
Love it or hate it, “The 12 Days of Christmas” is a staple tune of, well, Christmas. Singing it over and over again, or perhaps yucking it up to a popular parody, is one of many favorite Christmas traditions. But it’s a bit bizarre! Why is it so long? Why 12 days? Why those gifts? (Can you even call flocks upon flocks of birds “gifts”?) And is there a more hidden tie-in to Christmassymbols?
Don’t worry—we’ll get to the bottom of all of it. (Well, mostly.) Put on some of the best Christmas songs and strap in.
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What are the 12 days of Christmas?
First of all, let’s tackle the “12 days” part. When are those days supposed to start? And where does Christmas fall in the 12 days?
All singing aside, there actually is a historical basis for the traditional Christmas carol we all know and love. Christians have historically celebrated a period of 12 days surrounding Christmas. The nearly two-week time period starts and ends with two pretty significant holidays: Christmas on Dec. 25, and the Epiphany on Jan. 6.
Christians believe that the 12 days of Christmas mark the amount of time it took after the birth of Jesus for the magi, or wise men, to travel to Bethlehem for the Epiphany when they recognized him as the son of God. (The specific time period was likely part of the early church’s effort to adapt pre-Christian celebrations that helped the ancient Europeans get through the long winter nights.)
With Christmas as the first day, every one of the 12 days celebrates a different saint, from St. John the Apostle on Dec. 27 to the Virgin Mary on Jan. 1. Today, how—and when—the 12 days are celebrated by Christians around the world varies. Eastern Orthodox churches use a different religious calendar, so their 12 days of Christmas start on Jan. 7 and run through the Epiphany on Jan. 19. And while Catholics celebrate the Epiphany as a single day, some Protestant churches celebrate it until Ash Wednesday, leading into the season of Lent and Easter.
Gift-giving customs also differ in some cultures. In some Latin American cultures, Christians hand out presents on Jan. 6, which they celebrate as Three Kings Day, instead of Dec. 25. And other cultures give gifts all 12 days. Like a certain “true love” we’re familiar with, thanks to an earworm of a song. Don’t miss these Christmas Eve traditions you should try this year.
12 days of Christmas meaning
So what does the song itself mean?
Well, let’s get one thing straight—it isnot a secret coded song that persecuted Catholics historically used to teach children scripture without drawing the ire of those in power. This oft-circulated internet theory claims that each numbered “gift” represents a symbol of Christianity: “three French hens” for the Holy Trinity, “eight maids a-milking” for the eight Beatitudes, etc. But Snopes has debunked this theory; it has enough inconsistencies, and little enough evidence, to be almost assuredly just a myth.
So, whatisthe 12 days of Christmas meaning? Well, it doesn’t really mean anything. Instead, the song most likely began as a memory game for kids. That’s why it’s so dang long and repetitive!
“The first known version of it was in a 1780 children’s book calledMirth Without Mischief,” explains Ed Daly, author of The Christmas Book: The Ultimate Guide to Your Favorite Holiday. (Check out these other great Christmas books as well!) As Daly describes, “It was kind of like a more innocent ‘truth or dare.'” Basically, kids would challenge each other to recite the words from memory, adding on a new line every time (as the song does today). If you messed up, you’d have to do a favor for whomever challenged you to the game, perhaps, or give them a kiss or some candy. It was still Christmas themed, though. “People would sing it at Twelfth Night [the eve of the Epiphany],” Daly says. Sounds like a fun Christmas activity!
Have the 12 days of Christmas lyrics changed over the years?
omearadesign/Getty Images
For as long as the song has been around, there have been slightly different versions of the lyrics. Even today, you’ll see some number jumbling, specifically among the bigger numbers: Is it 10 or 12 lords a-leaping, and 11 or 9 ladies dancing? And in past versions that can be found in old songbooks, it’s the narrator’s mother, not a true love, who gives all these lavish gifts.
Others still include gifts like “bears a-baiting” or “ships a-sailing” that you won’t find in the song today. And there may even be a “misheard lyrics” situation going on: Those “four calling birds” were probably originally intended to be “colly birds”—colly being an old-timey word for the color black. (See if you find it among the Christmas colors.)
And we’re likely misinterpreting one of the current lyrics as well. It’s not definitive, but it seems likely in the context of the song that the “five golden rings” are not referring to gold jewelry but instead to the markings on a ring-necked pheasant. That seems to make more sense (relatively speaking), since all the other gifts on the first seven days are birds. (So is that one pheasant or five pheasants?)
Either way, it’s a ton of birds! “Somebody was obsessed with birds when they came up with this!” jokes Daly.
The current version of the song is a little over a century old. Today, its final verse goes something like this:
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming
Eleven pipers piping
Ten lords a-leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five golden rings
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves …
And, of course, a partridge in a pear tree!
“The song we know today, the version we know of it, was written by a guy named Frederic Austin in 1909,” Daly says. That encompasses the words we know today as well as the familiar tune. “From there, once Christmas music became a ‘thing,’ then you start having artists like Perry Como and John Denver and the Muppets [perform it]. All of a sudden, it became something that people knew.” And once you know it, you can’t un-know it. The Christmas music library is rife with versions and funny Christmas song parodies, and all year round it’s not uncommon to hear someone add “… and a partridge in a pear tree!” to the end of a comically long list.
12 days of Christmas gifts: How much do they cost?
Now you know that the song was never intended to be a serious portrayal of holiday gifts. But it’s still fun to speculate about what it wouldactuallybe like to give and receive those unique gifts—and the PNC Christmas Price Index provides a cost estimate every year. They account for everything from wages for the maids a-milking to the weirdly high cost of seven swans, the most expensive item.
In 2020, they even accounted for COVID, with price hikes for the gold rings—and, grimly for the art world (and the gift recipient!) but happily for the purchaser, a cost of $0 for all the musicians and dancers, to account for the cancellations of live performances. Man, we can’t even suspend our disbelief in a hypothetical scenario about a wacky Christmas song!
And how much would those gifts set you back? In 2021, if you wanted to stay true to the song and get your “true love” each day’s gifts the number of times they’re mentioned in the song, that was 364 gifts, for a whopping $179,454.19!
Daly’s main takeaway? “I’d rather take a trip around the world for two, for the price of [just] the swans!” he says. You could also get everything on this list of inexpensive Christmas gifts, or just plan a Christmas movie date night!
Additional reporting by Jen McCaffery.
Sources:
iStock/Weekend-Images-IncThe History Behind Christmas Symbols
AngieYeoh/ShutterstockChristmas Wishes for Your Holiday Cards
Misunseo/ShutterstockWhat Is Christmas?
FAQs
One idea is that the 12 days represent the time it takes for Christmas to fall on the same day each year, as well as the time it takes for Jesus to be born. Another theory is that the 12 gifts are meant to represent Jesus and his 12 apostles. Another theory is that the 12 days represent the 12 months of the year.
What are the 12 days of Christmas traditionally celebrated? ›
The Twelve Days of Christmas are the last six days of the old year (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 December ) and the first six days of the New Year (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 January).
How do you solve the 12 days of Christmas? ›
So the easiest way to count our presents is to add up to the middle of the list and then double the result: (12 + 22 + 30 + 36 + 40 + 42) × 2 = 364.
What does 10 Lords a leaping mean? ›
The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments. The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful Apostles. The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in The Apostles' Creed.
What is the 12 days of Christmas biblical? ›
The 12 days of Christmas is the period in Christian theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings' Day).
What does Christmas mean in the Bible? ›
Because Christmas is about the birth of God's Son – Jesus. It is about how he came to give us love, hope and joy. That message doesn't change from year to year. When there is so much bad news and devastation in the world, this is good news worth celebrating!
When was Jesus actually born? ›
The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources, but most biblical scholars generally accept a date of birth between 6 BC and 4 BC, the year in which King Herod died.
What does a partridge in a pear tree mean? ›
The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on the first day of Christmas. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge, a bird that will die to protect its young.
What is the best selling Christmas song of all time? ›
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby is not only the best-selling Christmas/holiday single in the United States, but also the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.
What is a maid of milking? ›
Eight maids a-milking: Eight young women taking milk from cows (from a Christmas song)
Four Calling Birds were the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. Five Golden Rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
What does seven swans a swimming mean? ›
The meaning of the Seven Swans A Swimming
The Seven Swans a Swimming verse represents the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:6-8). Prophesy, service, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership & mercy.
What day is Christmas in the Bible? ›
Dec. 25 is not the date mentioned in the Bible as the day of Jesus's birth; the Bible is actually silent on the day or the time of year when Mary was said to have given birth to him in Bethlehem. The earliest Christians did not celebrate his birth.
How long is Christmas according to the Bible? ›
It begins on Christmas Eve and ends on the Sunday celebrating the Baptism of the Lord. This usually gives us a Christmas season of around 20 days or so.
Why is the Epiphany 12 days of Christmas? ›
Christians believe that the 12 days of Christmas mark the amount of time it took after the birth of Jesus for the magi, or wise men, to travel to Bethlehem for the Epiphany when they recognized him as the son of God.
What is the full meaning of Christmas? ›
Christmas, Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. The English term Christmas (“mass on Christ's day”) is of fairly recent origin. The earlier term Yule may have derived from the Germanic jōl or the Anglo-Saxon geōl, which referred to the feast of the winter solstice.
Is Christmas in the Holy Bible? ›
The Bible and the Believer. The New Testament contains two Christmas stories, not one. They appear in Matthew 1–2 and Luke 1–2. They have some points in common.
What is the main message for Christmas? ›
CHRISTMAS PROCLAIMS A MESSAGE OF HOPE AND REDEMPTION
"It is because of him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." One of the ancient church fathers said, "The son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God."
Did Jesus have a last name? ›
We often refer to Jesus as Jesus Christ, and some people assume that Christ is Jesus's last name. But Christ is actually a title, not a last name. So if Christ isn't a last name, what was Jesus's last name? The answer is Jesus didn't have a formal last name or surname like we do today.
What language did Jesus speak? ›
Most religious scholars and historians agree with Pope Francis that the historical Jesus principally spoke a Galilean dialect of Aramaic. Through trade, invasions and conquest, the Aramaic language had spread far afield by the 7th century B.C., and would become the lingua franca in much of the Middle East.
He may have stood about 5-ft.-5-in. (166 cm) tall, the average man's height at the time.
How do you split Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? ›
Give one parent the entire day
The other parent could have Christmas Day in exchange. For example, if one parent's family attends midnight Mass or opens gifts on Christmas Eve, the children can spend the 24th with that parent, then spend Christmas Day with the other parent.
What does two turtle dove mean? ›
“Turtle doves are a symbol of friendship and love. Keep one, and give the other to a very special person. As long as each of you has your turtle dove, you will be friends forever.” – Home Alone 2.
What bird is the symbol of Christmas? ›
Indeed, the Northern cardinal has come to be called the bird of Christmas. A main reason for its high popularity during the holidays, it has been said, is that red is one of two colors — the other being green — most associated with Christmas.
What do two turtle doves symbolize? ›
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.
How do you start Dirty Santa? ›
The game begins once #1 selects a gift from the pile (after much thought and deliberation, of course), opens it, and shows it to everyone. The person who drew #2 then goes and has the option to steal #1's gift (aka "Dirty Santa") or pick a different gift from the pile.
What is the #1 Christmas song? ›
'White Christmas' isn't only the highest-selling Christmas song of all time, having sold a staggering 50 million copies, but it's also the highest-selling single of all time worldwide.
What is number 1 Christmas song? ›
The first version of Do They Know It's Christmas? is the biggest selling Christmas Number 1 of all time, with over 3.8 million copies sold.
What is the #1 Christmas song 2022? ›
Key findings: “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee is America's #1 Christmas song, edging “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms for the first time in five years by a fraction of a percentage point.
What does milking mean for boys? ›
You may have heard the term “milking” used to describe a prostate massage. While similar, prostate milking refers more to stimulating the prostate for sexual pleasure. It also means (as the name implies) massaging until a fluid or pre-ejacul*te is released.
Milking is the act of removing milk from the mammary glands of cattle, water buffalo, humans, goats, sheep, and, more rarely, camels, horses and donkeys.
What does it mean when a girl is milking? ›
Reasons for lactating when not recently pregnant can range from hormone imbalances to medication side effects to other health conditions. The most common cause of breast milk production is an elevation of a hormone produced in the brain called prolactin.
What are birds of heaven? ›
Cranes are ubiquitous in the earliest legends of the world's peoples, where they often figure as harbingers of heaven and omens of longevity and good fortune.
Which birds are messengers of death? ›
In Tibetan folk- lore, birds are generally seen as divine messengers, divided into castes; those birds considered “*ntouchable” include ravens, crows, vultures, hawks, and owls, serving as emissaries for darker forces including death (Beér, 2004, p. 85).
Which bird has the most calls? ›
The Brown Thrasher can sing up to 2,000 different songs and may be the champion mimic in North America.
What does nine ladies dancing mean? ›
Although the mystery of the Nine Ladies Stone Circle still baffles us, the “9 Ladies Dancing” in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is known to represent the 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit as found in Galatians. These Fruits are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
What is swan symbolize? ›
In literature and myth, the swan symbolizes light, purity, transformation, intuition, grace. In Ancient Greece the swan stood for the soul and was linked to Apollo, the god of the Sun, whereas in other religions, the swan became a feminine symbol of the moon.
What does it mean when a swan has its wings up? ›
When swimming, they may hold their wings over their backs in a puffed up position to advertise their strength, and the neck may be held in a strong S-curve as an aggressive posture. In flight, mute swans hold their necks out straight and the legs and feet extend to the end of the tail.
What are the 12 days of Christmas song gifts? ›
The gifts include: one feather, two geese, three sides of meat, four sheep, five cows, six oxen, seven dishes, eight ponies, nine banners, ten barrels, eleven goats, twelve men, thirteen hides, fourteen rounds of cheese and fifteen deer.
How much would it cost to give all the gifts in the 12 days of Christmas? ›
This amounts to a whopping total of 364 individual items. Buying all those gifts over and over is going to cost you a grand total of $194,951.59.
Total Gifts
The first nice fact is that the singer receives 364 gifts in total – one for every day of the year apart from Christmas day! There are also some other nice hidden mathematical patterns.
How much gifts are given in the 12 days of Christmas? ›
On day three, it is an additional three gifts on top of day two's three. Making it 3 + 3 = 6 gifts. And so forth, until the number reaches 364 presents in total.
What does Christmas stand for? ›
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.
What is the average amount of Christmas gifts per child? ›
According to CreditCards.com, the average U.S. parent planned to spend $276 on each child under 18 in 2021. And a Parenting.com and Today survey of mothers had similar results, estimating the average Christmas spending per child in 2021 was $271.
How many Christmas gifts do you give each child? ›
Some follow the “rule of three.” This means that a child gets three presents, one for each gift baby Jesus received. Others believe in four: something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. And some follow other guidelines entirely.
How much does the average family spend on Christmas gifts? ›
The average American spent $514 on gifts for family members in 2021. That's approximately 58% of the average total amount spent on gifts in 2021, meaning that Americans spend the majority of their holiday budget on family members.
How many Christmas gifts are unwanted? ›
According to our survey, over 32 million (62%) of us receive at least one unwanted gift each Christmas. There's even 1 in 10 (9.26%) of us who have deliberately bought someone a gift they knew they wouldn't like. Of those who've received these undesired gifts, they receive three on average.
What is the most expensive gift in 12 days of Christmas? ›
Ten lords-a-leaping = $13,980. It's the most expensive gift on the list. It's based on how much it would cost to hire ten dancers from the Philadelphia ballet.
How many children is Santa said to deliver gifts to on Christmas Eve? ›
In other words, Santa has to deliver presents to almost 22 million kids an hour, every hour, on the night before Christmas. That's about 365,000 kids a minute; about 6,100 a second. Totally doable.
Why are there so many birds in the 12 days of Christmas? ›
Lots of people insist the song is Catholic catechism ...
The partridge and the pear tree was Jesus Christ, the four calling birds were the four gospels, the pipers piping were the 11 faithful apostles, and so on.
omearadesign/Getty Images