Well folks, it’s that time of year again. Your trees are going up and stockings are being hung. Most every radio stations are playing those classic Christmas tunes. I love them so much I decided to do a bit of research and see where it all started.
Carols were first sung in Europe, but they weren’t really classified as Christmas carols yet. These were songs sung at the winter solstice celebrations. The winter solstice was known as the shortest day of the year; and it usually took place around December 22nd. Actually the word carol means dance or a song of praise and joy. These old time carols were sung year round at every season, but only the Christmas carols survived the stand of time.
Today the tradition of Christmas caroling is very profound in my family. We try and do it every year, and apparently the tradition has been around for years. Before the popular custom caroling came about the carolers were called ‘Waits’. These folks were like bands, usually lead by important city leaders who had all the power of the towns and villages.
One of my favorite Christmas carols is “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. This song was written in England to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith. This song contains hidden meanings to the teachings of faith. The “true love” mentioned in the song is referring to God himself. The “me” is referring to every person who has been saved by God. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the son of God. Two Turtle Doves- the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens- Faith, Hope and Charity, the theological virtues. Four Calling Birds- the four gospels and/or the four evangelists. Five Golden Rings- the first five books of the Old Testament. Six Geese A-laying- the six days of creation. Seven Swans A-swimming- the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Eight Maids a-milking- the eight beatitudes. Nine Ladies Dancing- the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. Ten Lords A-leaping- the ten commandments. Eleven Pipers Piping- the eleven faithful apostles. And Twelve Drummers Drumming- the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed. I find the history of this Carol so interesting and relative. I can see how it would have been so easy to for the young Catholics to learn this catchy tune, obviously many of us today know it by heart! I heard this on the radio and thought it was crazy so I looked it up online and Time is saying its true too! If you were to buy the items of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas” it would cost you more than $100,000!
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