There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me - The Twelve Days of Christmas. 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? This week, I found out that 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. 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 ...
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