Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas are the days from Christmas until January 6th. The eight days of the Christmas Octave from December 25th to New Years Day and the four additional days up to and including the eve of January 6th, the traditional date of the Epiphany. The current church calendar places Epiphany on the first Sunday after New Years, so the exact number 12 may not always apply.

This year our family started a new Christmas tradition, decorating a separate tree with ornaments representing the Twelve Days of Christmas. We have been in our new home in Fairfield, California for two years so the tree is graced with a partridge and two turtle doves. Next year the Momboisse rendition of three French hens will be added.

The origin of the Twelve Days is, as they say, “it’s complicated” having to do with differences in calendars, church traditions and culture. The origin of the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, well, “it’s complicated” also. It isn’t clear if it is French or English or whether it was written when Catholicism was outlawed in England and the verses were “code” for Catholic teachings, or if it was John Denver or the Muppets. If there were more hours in a day I might get to the bottom of this, but alas there are not. 




  

What I found interesting is, as with everything in my life, it all comes back to God. I can now hear a cumulative sigh from my adult children and rousing, “Come on, not the Twelve Days of Christmas, the partridge, drummers, French hens, the Muppets, John Denver, and ladies dancing, no way.” Well maybe just one more Muppets with Jimmy and give Fozzie another chance, Robin.....

 

But yes Robin and Richard, there is a connection between the Twelve Days of Christmas song and Christianity............

Lyrics  vs Christian Association

On the first day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

A partridge in a pear tree (The partridge is Jesus, the tree is the cross.)

Two turtle doves (The two testaments, Old and New.)

Three French hens (Three gifts of the wise men., three Christian virtues,

or 3 persons of the Trinity.)

Four colly [black] birds (Four gospels)

Five golden rings (Five books of Moses, five senses God grant us grace to use well)

Six geese a-laying (Six days of creation)

Seven swans a-swimming (Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit - Rom. 12:6-8)

Eight maids a-milking (Eight beatitudes - Matt. 5-7)

Nine ladies dancing (Nine fruit of the Spirit - Gal. 5:22-23, hierarchy of angels which praise God continually)

Ten Lords a-leaping (Ten commandments)

Eleven pipers piping (Eleven faithful apostles)

Twelve drummers drumming (Twelve articles of the Apostles' Creed).

But alas if I were to pick a favorite rendition of
The Twelve Days of Christmas
 it would be

 Indiana University
A Capella Straight No Chasers

And to all a Good Nite <3

The Epiphany of the Lord

The Epiphany of the Lord

The feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6, or the Sunday between January 2 and 8th. Epiphany, which means in Greek “manifestation”, commemorates the manifestations of God to all peoples, symbolized by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus. Whereas in the Old Covenant, only the Jewish people received God’s promise, in the New Covenant all people are chosen and will participate in the promise of the Gospel message. There will be no distinction between Jew and Greek, slave or free, male or female.

In the Old Testament reading and responsorial Psalm from today’s Mass we hear a prediction that in a time of darkness, the glory of the Lord will shine over Jerusalem. “The riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephan; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord.“ (Isaiah 60:5-6) Every nation on earth will adore the Lord, “all kings bow before him, all nations serve him.” (Psalms 72:11) It is the tradition of the Church that the story of the Magi from Matthew 2:1-11 is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy from chapter 60 and Psalm 72.

The ancient feast of the Epiphany actually celebrates and ties together three events in the life of Jesus: His birth and appearance as God to the Magi, the wedding at Cana where Jesus performs His first miracle, and the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. In each, Jesus manifests Himself as who He really is – the Messiah and God.

In some parishes it is tradition on Epiphany to bless water and chalk for parishioners to mark the doorway to their home, as a witness of their faith. This year 20C+B+M10 would be written. CBM stands for Christus bendicat mansionem or Christ blesses this house. (M11 for 2011, M 12 for 2012 and so on)

Matthew’s gospel does not name the “magi from the east” who followed “his star at its rising…to do him homage, ” offering “gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:1-2, 11) Some credit the three letters, CBM, as the foundation for the names, others site different writings, and tradition has used a variety of names. But since the 8th century, “magi from the east” have been known as Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior.

They brought three significant gifts, gold for a king, frankincense to burn in honor of a god, and myrrh, a salve used to treat a body at burial. They may have seemed odd gifts for a baby, but not for this baby. All three gifts of the Magi are necessary to convey the true epiphany of who this Child is and what He was destined for. The babe in the manger given homage by the Magi is King, He is Lord God incarnate, and He came to die for us. What a great Epiphany!

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Art
Botticelli
Murillo