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12 Point Checklist for Buying Your Business Christmas Cards
1. Determine how many Christmas cards you will need. Will they all need to be the same Christmas card with the same personalization or will some need to be different? Will you be buying just for your immediate office or are there other branches that...

How To Choose Perfect Christmas Gifts For Boys
What do boys want for Christmas? Every year, there would be one particular item that every child must have. That would probably be the gift the kid would pester mom or grandma for. If the little boy in question tells you what he wants for...

Mindfulness and Commercialism: A Coca-Cola Christmas
It's Christmas time here in Mazatlan, Mexico. I can tell by the Coca-Cola Christmas tree in the plaza facing the cathedral. In fact, last Friday must have been St. Coca-Cola Day or something. At sunset, we heard a commotion. Nothing too...

Music for the Christmas Holidays
In our multi-cultural societies today the run up to Christmas is experienced in many different ways. The commercial version pioneered by Coca Cola's magazine advertisements which established the red suited Santa Claus image, washes over us all...

Real vs. Artificial Christmas Trees
Putting up and decorating your Christmas tree is a holiday tradition which has been in effect for hundreds of years and will probably be in effect until the end of time. Choosing whether you want a real Christmas tree or an artificial Christmas tree...

 
A Christmas History Lesson

The Twelve Days of Christmas is one of the most famous Christmas carols ever written. It has been sung for a great many years, and is known the world over. To most it is a delightful hymn, but it was originally created with a very serious intent. In England between the years of 1558 and 1829, it was illegal to practice Catholicism in public or private. It was essentially a crime to be Catholic in England during those years.

The Twelve Days of Christmas was written to help preserve the traditions of the Catholic faith during the years that Catholicism was banned in England. The song is steeped in symbolism, and the fact that it is so well known throughout the world is a testament to the faith of the followers of the Catholic doctrine. The symbols contained in the song are as follows:

1st verse – "True Love" refers to God.
2nd verse – "2 Turtle Doves" refers to the Old and New Testaments.
3rd verse – "3 French Hens" refers to Faith, Hope, and Charity.
4th verse – "4 Calling Birds" refers to the Four Gospels or the Four Evangelists.
5th verse – "5 Golden Rings" refers to the first five Books of the Old Testament.
6th verse – "6 Geese-a-laying" refers to the six days of creation.
7th verse – "7 Swans-a-swimming" refers to the seven sacraments.


/> 8th verse – "8 Maids-a-milking" refers to the eight beatitudes.
9th verse – "9 Ladies dancing" refers to the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
10th verse – "10 Lords-a-leaping" refers to the Ten Commandments.
11th verse – "11 Pipers piping" refers to the eleven faithful apostles.
12th verse – "12 Drummers drumming" refers to the twelve points of the Apostle's creed.

I love this song. It is, by far, my favorite Christmas carol. I had no idea about the symbols contained in the song, until I googled the song lyrics one afternoon. I find it very interesting that a song we all know so well could contain so many hidden meanings. I would never have guessed that it was anything more than lovely Christmas carol. It's always nice to learn something new, especially about the wonderful celebration of Christmas. I hope you learned something, too. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!


Catherine Spelling absolutely loves spending Christmas with family and friends. When she is not counting down the days until Christmas, she writes for http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com/

Copyright Catherine Spelling - http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com/