In our local newspaper there was an article on the "12 Days of Christmas".....and since Ma-Bay-Colony, Ct-River-Valley, and MAPlymou, all are historically related to the time frame of the song, I thought this would be of interest. ------- This is NOT to start any personal religious friction..... just historical facts. Also, this song represents THEN NOT NOW. - When you finish reading this...you will not think the same way of the song again. --- "Springfield Union-News" December 23,2000" - 16th Century when the Catholics in Great Britain would be hanged, drawn,or quartered for practicing their faith. The Jesuits wrote the "Twelve Days of Christmas" as a coded catechism to help the Catholics remember their faith. -- 1st verse "On the first day of Christmas,my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree". "My true love symoblizes God and "me" symbolizes Catholics. The partridge is Jesus christ as a mother partridge who feigns injury to decoy predators away from helpless nestlings. The pear tree symboizes the cross. -- "2 turtle doves" --the Old and New Testaments -- "3 French Hens" symoblizes the theological virtue off faith,hope,and charity to some, or the gifts of the Magi, gold,frankincense and Myrrh. -- "4 Calling birds": represent the 4 gospels or the 4 evangelist; Matthew,Mark,Luke,and John --- "5 gold rings": the Pentatecuch or the first 5 books of the Old testament: Gensis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,and Deuteronomy. -- "6 geese a laying": symbolizes God's 6 days of creation -- "7 swans a swimming": the 7 gifts: prophecy, ministry,teaching, exhortation,giving,leading and compassion --- "8 maids a milking": the 8 Beatitudes: "Blessed are the poor in spirit,those who mourn,the meek,those who hunger and thirst for the righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are perscuted for the righteousness sake" ----- "9 ladies dancing": one school holds that 9 ladies dancing represents the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit; love,joy,peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,gentleness,and self-control. -- "10 lords a leaping": the Ten Commandments -- "11 pipers piping": symbolizes the 11 faithful apostles: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James[bar Alphaues, Simon the Zealot,and Judas bar James. -- "12 drummers drumming": the 12 points in the Apostles Creed. ---------------------------------------------------------- Taken from the SPRINGFIELD UNION-NEWS,Dec.23,2000; page C7 Cynthia -- got a beef? contact me...do not post on list! usual email: NewEnglander1620@mail.ccsinet.net have ? email me at: suggestions_questions@yahoo.com need lookup ? email: LookUpsNE@hotmail.com --- past postings: http://archiver.rootsweb.com -- Cynthia Listowner: Ma-Bay-Colony-L@rootsweb.com Ct-River-Valley-L@rootsweb.com --

At 11:47 AM 12/25/00 -0500, Cynthia wrote: >In our local newspaper there was an article on the >"12 Days of Christmas".....and since Ma-Bay-Colony, >Ct-River-Valley, and MAPlymou, all are historically related >to the time frame of the song, I thought this would be >of interest. > Something I was told but never took the time to confirm is that if you add up all the gifts in the 12 days of Christmas you get 364 and then the one special gift for the ones that believe makes it 365.. Where there's a will, there are five hundred relatives.