The Twelve Days of Christmas is more than just a catchy
song. It’s a rhythmic reminder that the
Christmas season lasts longer than just one day. Yes, you read that correctly! The Christmas season begins on December 25 and goes until the evening
of January 6th. So it's perfectly fine to keep wish people a Merry (insert the correct day here) day of Christmas right up to the Feast of the Epiphany.
Some sources say this popular song was originally written to
help young people learn the catechism at a time when it was
prohibited to practice Catholicism in England, either publicly or privately. The punishments for adhering to the faith of the
Church ranged from imprisonment to torture and/or death. Naturally, those determined to preserve the
sacred had to be more subversive and creative in passing on the teachings of
Christ.
Whether or not that was the initial intent for the song or
just a myth developed over time, the current rendition and interpretation
does include elements of good catechesis.
As you probably already guessed, the “True Love” who does the giving is
God. We as in all of God's children are the "me" who are given all of these riches of the faith.
Here’s a simple summary from CathFamily
to help you remember the song and what it can stand for from a Christian
perspective:
