Origins: The Twelve Days Of Christmas

Many people mistakenly think that the twelve days of Christmas are the twelve days leading up to Christmas, using them much the same way as one might use an 'advent' calendar. However, this is not the case. The twelve days start with Christmas day being day one, and go through until the 5th of January, also known as 'twelfth night.' Some traditions call this time period 'Christmastide,' while others refer to it as 'Twelvetide.'

The Christmas carol by the same name tells the tale of gifts that were given on each of the days of Christmastide. These ranged from a partridge in a pear tree through five golden rings and finally ending with twelve drummers drumming. Why would such gifts be shared with one's true love in the first place? To find the answers to that question, a bit of digging needs to be done.

Although the actual origins of the song can be disputed, it is widely believed that it started as a memory game. Here, the leader would recite the words to a verse, which was then repeated by the other players. The leader would keep adding verses for the other players to repeat until such a time that it was delivered wrongly. At that time, the player who erred would have to perform a forfeit of some kind. This is how the song was presented in its earliest form around the dawn of the 19th century (1), although it is believed that the actual song and the accompanying game are much older.

There are much more interesting stories about the origins of the words to the song, even if they are unfounded. One such example says that this was a way for young Catholic students to memorize the symbols of their faith. The partridge in the pear tree was said to represent Jesus Christ; two turtle doves, the old and new testaments; three French hens, the virtues of faith hope and charity; four calling birds, the four gospels; five golden rings, the first five books of the old testament, and so on. While this seems to circulate most Christmases on the internet, it is indeed unfounded, and its origins contradictory. Someone went to a lot of effort to ascribe these meanings, though, which makes it worth mentioning.

Christmastide does have its roots in Christianity. It varies a bit throughout different cultures and different branches of the faith, but the explanation of the twelve days is still there. Christmas day is the first day of Christmas, with Boxing Day--sometimes called the feast of St Stephens--following it as the second day of Christmas, on 26th December. The next days are--in chronological order--the Feast of St John, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the Feast of St Thomas, the Feast of the Holy Family, St Sylvester's Feast, the Feast of the Holy Circumcision, the Feast of St Basil, the Feast of St Genevieve, the Feast of St Simon, and then finally the Feast of St Edward on the twelfth night. That's a lot of feasting!

For some people, the twelfth night is celebrated as a time when the Christmas decorations are taken down, and the greenery returned outside, so as not to hold captive any spirits who might have been helping the house stay safe during the Christmastide period. It marks the conclusion of the holidays, and the return to normal life, once again preparing for the days to lengthen and the seasonal work to commence. It is marked on some calendars and in some churches as 'the Feast of Epiphany.'

Many people now seem to overlook these days and the feasts they bring, perhaps taking down their holiday adornment as early as Boxing Day. However, as more families turn to the old and traditional ways, some popularity--particularly around twelfth night celebrations--does seem to be returning. Perhaps a party on the 5th of January to put away the decorations and celebrate the coming spring isn't such a bad idea after all.

1) Mirth without Mischief. London, UK: Gale ECCO, 2010. Print.