Everything you need to know about the '12 days of Christmas'
Whether you love it or hate it, the "12 Days of Christmas" song is a holiday staple. Sure, you might prefer belting out other beloved Christmas carols like "Feliz Navidad" or Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," but there's something about singing the "12 Days of Christmas" each year that makes you feel a little nostalgic.
Even if you don't know all the words, you're likely able to remember an occasional verse like "Nine ladies dancing!" or "A partridge in a pear tree!" But do you know what the "12 Days of Christmas" song represents or the hidden-message theory about the lyrics?
Not much of the song makes sense in the modern age, but knowing the rich history behind the elaborate song (which ends up totalling to 364 gifts, by the way) puts the seemingly odd lyrics in context. Let's dive in!
What are the 12 days of Christmas?
The "12 Days of Christmas" in the carol references the 12 days following Christmas, also known as Twelvetide in Christianity. The period begins with the birth of Christ on December 25th and ends with the coming of the Three Wise Men on January 6th, also known as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. The weeks before Christmas are known as Advent — hence, the creation of advent calendars.
"12 Days of Christmas" gifts list
First day: Partridge in a pear tree
Second day: 2 turtle doves
Third day: 3 French hens
Fourth day: 4 calling birds
Fifth day: 5 golden rings
Sixth day: 6 geese a-laying
Seventh day: 7 swans a-swimming
Eighth day: 8 maids a-milking
Ninth day: 9 ladies dancing
Tenth day: 10 lords a-leaping
Eleventh day: 11 pipers piping
Twelfth day: 12 drummers drumming
Where do the "12 Days of Christmas" lyrics come from?
Though some scholars 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.
If you haven't heard of it, that's probably because it was published in 1780. You could ask the person who shelled out $23,750 at a Sotheby's auction for a first edition to borrow their copy. But even so, you may not recognise the lyrics.
In the original lyrics, the "four calling birds" were actually “four colly birds." The term "colly" is old English slang for blackbirds. In other old versions of the song, the partridge we all know and love is replaced with a "very pretty peacock upon a pear tree." It wasn't until 1909 that British composer Frederic Austin penned the version of the lyrics that we are all familiar with today.
Is there a hidden meaning behind the "12 Days of Christmas" song?
There's a theory floating around claiming 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. Per this theory, each gift on the list symbolises a different aspect of the Christian faith:
The Partridge in the Pear Tree is Jesus Christ.
The 2 Turtle Doves are The Old and New Testaments.
The 3 French hens are Faith, Hope and Charity, the theological virtues.
The 4 Calling Birds are the four gospels and/or the four evangelists.
The 5 Golden Rings are the first five books of the Old Testament.
The 6 Geese A-laying are the six days of creation.
The 7 Swans A-swimming are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments.
The 8 Maids A-milking are the eight beatitudes.
The 9 Ladies Dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The 10 Lords A-leaping are the ten commandments.
The 11 Pipers Piping are the eleven faithful apostles.
The 12 Drummers Drumming are the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed.
But while it is true that the "12 days" reference the days between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, Snopes breaks down the many historical and logistical errors in the "hidden meanings" theory, including the biggest flaw in the claim: If Christians were living in fear of even mentioning the basic tenants of Christianity, how were they able to sing a song that mentions the word "Christmas" in every lyric?
How much would the 12 Days of Christmas cost?
Want to know another fun fact about the "12 Days of Christmas" tune? Since 1984, PNC Bank has been tracking the price of giving each gift mentioned in the song with the PNC Christmas Price Index.
The index uses current market rates to calculate how much each gift would cost, on average, for the modern consumer. All those gifts added up together would cost you a whopping $197,071.09 when you count each repetition of the song according to the current Christmas price index — swans alone are really expensive ($1,875 each!).
But the real reason the final number is so eye-popping is that the gifts are cumulative — you give each previous gift a mention with each subsequent gift, which brings your total number of gifts to 364.
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