You’re all familiar with the Christmas song, but it is a good deal more than just a repetitious melody with pretty phrases and a list of strange gifts.  Catholics in England during the period of 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law-private OR public.  It was a crime to be a Catholic. The songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teaching of the faith. The “true love” mentioned in the song doesn’t refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The “me” who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. The partridge is a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ’s sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldn’t not have it so…”

The other symbols mean the following:

2    Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments

3    French Hen = Faith, Hope and Charity

4    Calling Birds = The Four Gospels

5    Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch”

6    Geese A-laying = the Six Days of Creation

7    Swans A-swimming = the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Seven Sacrament.

8    Maids A-milking = the Eight Beatitudes

9    Ladies Dancing = the Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

10  Lords A-Leaping = the Ten Commandments

11  Pipers Piping—the Eleven Faithful Apostles

12  Drummers Drumming—the Twelve Points of Doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD

In SPAIN on January 6, the three wise men come to visit and also leave gifts for the children.

Feliz Navidad!

In GERMANY there is a flower called the Christmas Rose which blooms even in the snow and ice.

Frohes Weihnachtsfest

Food for thought!

In IRELAND, children often put out Christmas sacks instead of stockings.

Nollaig Shona Dhuit

In NORWAY, on Christmas Eve, a bowl of porridge, "nisse" is left in the barn for the gnome who protects the farm.

In KENYA Christmas dinner is often a barbecue with family members traveling from far away to be together again.

Youth Ministry Christmas Quiz