We rarely pass on those wonderful e-mailings we all get because everyone’s mailbox gets so full of spam these days, but sometimes an e-mail will catch our attention.   

In 2001, Nancy received one from her friend, MJ, containing what some sources refer to as an urban myth - a back story that explains the meaning of The Twelve Days of Christmas.  Sadly, after a little research, we've discovered there's no real proof that this explanation is true.  On the other hand, there's a possibility that it isn't false so we've included it below because we like it.

For more information, go to <http://www.cresourcei.org/cy12days.html>. 

For wonderful music, try these great CDs: Vienna Boys Choir: Carols, Johann... and Christmas Live by Mannheim Steamroller.  Neither one contains The 12 Days of Christmas, but we're partial to them anyway.

     Merry Christmas to all,

Jane Marie

 

 

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.  Someone during that era wrote The Twelve Days of Christmas 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 the church.  Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious fact that the children could remember.

*The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

*The two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

*The three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

*The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and 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.

*The 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.

*The 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.

Jangled Jingle Bells By Nancy Kamp Over the years since Jingle Bells became a popular Christmas song, people have adapted it for their own purposes and clever advertisers have even rewritten the words to hype their products.  But I have never enjoyed a version more - or understood it less - than when I came across the words as sung in the Australian Outback in the November 2004 issue of National Geographic. Dashing through the bush In a rusty Holden ute   Kicking up the dust Esky in the boot   Kelpie by my side singing Christmas songs It's Summertime and I am in my singlet, shorts and thongs   Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,   Christmas in Australia On a scorching summer's day, Hey!