On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Admit it. You’re singing now. Everyone knows the lyrics to the famous 12 Days of Christmas song, but how much do we really know about the actual 12 days of Christmas?
For a start, did you know the Christmas song actually refers to a festive period called Twelvetide? Recognised and celebrated by a number of Christian denominations, Twelvetide ends with Twelfth Night, when traditionally decorations are taken down.
So, are we in the 12 Days of Christmas now? When did it start?
Just like the ten lords, we’re leaping into action to explain it all…
When do the 12 Days of Christmas take place?
The 12 Days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day (December 25) and ends on January 5.
Some might assume that it’s the 12 days running up to Christmas, which would start today (December 13) but it’s the reverse, it’s almost like the countdown to the end of the festive period.
What happens during the 12 Days of Christmas?
Twelvetide, sometimes called Christmastide, essentially celebrates the Nativity of Jesus Christ.
Each day is devoted to a saint, an important event in Christian history or, of course, to Jesus himself.
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Naturally, the first day of Christmas (December 25) is all about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
The second day of Christmas (December 26) may be Boxing Day to most, but it’s also St Stephen’s Day.
The third day of Christmas (December 27) celebrated St John the Apostle. He is the patron saint of loyalty and friendship, as well as the author of the Book of Revelation.
The fourth day of Christmas (December 28) is called ‘The Feast of Holy Innocents’, a day of remembrance thinking back to the baby boys killed in King Herod’s search for Baby Jesus.
The fifth day of Christmas (December 29) is another day of remembrance, this time for former Archbishop of Canterbury St Thomas Becket, who was murdered on this day in the year 1170.
The sixth day of Christmas (December 30) is the day of St Egwin of Worcester.
The seventh day of Christmas (December 31) is New Year’s Eve. Today, Pope Sylvester I is typically remembered and celebrated.
The eighth day of Christmas (January 1) is New Year’s Day, a fitting time to celebrate Jesus’s mother, Mary.
The ninth day of Christmas (January 2) celebrates St Gregory Nazianzen and St Basil the Great, both from the 4th century.
The tenth day of Christmas (January 3) is the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.
The eleventh day of Christmas (January 4) celebrates St Elizabeth Ann Seton, an American saint who lived in the 1700s and 1800s.
The twelfth day of Christmas (January 5) is sometimes called Epiphany Eve, as it precedes Epiphany – a day that commemorates the first manifestation of Jesus Christ. Typically, Epiphany is celebrated by Orthodox Christians and Catholics.
Who wrote the 12 Days of Christmas song?
The song as we know it today was written by British composer Frederic Austin in 1909.
However, before he shaped the lyrics we sing today, the song had some alternate versions in the past. Some believe that the song is French in origin, the first printed appearance of the song was in the English children’s book Mirth With-out Mischief, published in 1780.
In the original lyrics, the ‘four calling birds’ were actually ‘four colly birds’ – the old English slang for blackbirds.
There’s also an earlier Scottish version that gifts ‘an Arabian baboon.’
There is a theory floating around that during a time when Christians were punished for worshiping openly, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song was used to secretly pass on the ideology of Christianity with each verse representing an aspect of Christianity – e.g The Partridge in the Pair Tree is Jesus, The Four Calling Birds are the four gospels etc.
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