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 or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.'
Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone

It wasn't meant to be anything other than just information I obtained. After 42 views without as much as a right on or thanks for sharing that. It's a blow out win for agnostics,atheists, folks that are sympathetic to Jews, Muslims, Buddhists etc which is fine by me, but I sense resentment towards Christians,not just here, but everywhere. I have faith that before 100 views someone will say Merry Christmas back.

Well, I haven't been on for a while, so I wasn't one of the views, but I appreciate you sharing it! Always wondered where the 12 days of Christmas originated from & what it meant. Really cool moody!

Thanks again for sharing it and...

Merry Christmas!! =)

Thank you RM. I just looked and saw 240 views to get 1 Merry Christmas. That's sad.

Thank you Moody !! That was very interesting, it's always nice to know what inspires a song.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! ! !

Moody, accusing people of resenting Christians is just not the way to get them to say a nice, cheery "Merry Christmas" and ho, ho, ho to you. Use your head.

Oh, but many do Judy. Christmas falls on the 25th and is "one" day of celebration, Hanukkah started on the 12th and is a twelve day celebration, Ramadan is a one month celebration. If you don't see the prejudice, that we have to call our "one" day of celebration a "holiday" instead of Christmas in honor of our beloved lord well lets just say it's expected and so be it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Right on Nanassetta, and blessings to you. A teacher tells a young girl she can't read her bible during quiet time at school yet we have Obama's Safe school Czar promoting the teaching of fisting to 14 year old children, lovely. He should be in prison not a high ranking adviser to our president. I expect heat for this,oh well. I'll proudly be the whipping boy on this issue.

http://beltwayblips.dailyradar.com/story/o...hild-sex-books/

I heard about that story. Thank God, it has been resolved. The school district got their priorities straight! So sad and confusing for that little girl.

From what I understand the girl went to put the Bible in her desk and the teacher said, no you need to put that in your backpack. If it were Mein Kampf or Rules for Radicals she was reading she probably would have been fine.

This prejudice only exists in your paranoid little mind. get real, moody. You're free to celebrate Christmas DAY the whole year if you choose to. Who's stopping you? and you DON'T have to call it a 'holiday' - YOU can call it whatever you want.

My paranoid little mind.

http://beltwayblips.dailyradar.com/story/o...hild-sex-books/

This is simply and totally and absolutely a lie being spread by homophobic, borderline mentallly ill, right wing nut job conservatives who enjoy spreading unsubstantiated rumors.

What the h*ll does this link to more right wing conservative lies about Jennings have to do with your imagined persecution over Christmas? Not getting the connection here, moody.

There is a video on that link where you can hear his own words

This was one teacher who made a mistake about school policy on reading the bible. The district corrected the mistake, apologized and life moves on. I doubt this little girl's life will be ruined.

THIS is what you are calling persecution? ONE - let me repeat - ONE, ONE, ONE teacher???

Why do you want to feel persecuted all the time, moody? horrible way to live.

In 1997, he was praising Hays for work that he did in 1948. Accusing Jennings of supporting an agenda of pedophila is ridiculous. This is guilt by association and tailor made by Hannity and the other idiots to get the conspiracy theory, paranoid base up in arms. This is how they control you people and keep you in line.

so your logical conclusion should be that Obama is a pedophile since he supports Jennings who admired Hays' work on gay rights in 1948, right?

Easy Judy, maybe I am a homophobe. I really think that if Jennings were talking about a fourteen year old boy up to his wrist in a fourteen year old girls anus I wouldn't have a problem with that. I'm sorry. Don't be so defensive. I would just like to know why that man is still the "Safe School Czar" and not in prison. Oh I forgot that is what you call progressive these days. So they should dismiss the rape sentence of the 48 year old married man that repeatedly raped my girlfriends 12 year old niece. These are the new standards?

Stop it!! Some of us are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ in 4 days and this thread has to become political?? Take it to another thread.

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it!

AMEN!

for the third time, you are repeating lies about Jennings.

and I won't bother responding to the last part of your post because it is just ridiculous. You've reached a new low. take it down a notch, ok?

Merry Christmas.....ho, ho, ho.