Hidden Meanings in "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

The well-known carol makes a good Christmas season teaching tool.

There may be more to this familiar carol than meets the ear!

Its origins are not entirely clear, but some people think it dates from sixteenth-century England, when Catholics were prohibited from practicing their faith openly. According to this theory, the carol was an underground memory device for teaching children truths of the faith.

Whatever its history, The Twelve Days of Christmas is a fun way to present points associated with each of the twelve gifts enumerated in the song. Use it as a memory game: The first player states the first gift and its hidden meaning, the second player states the second gift, and so on, around the circle. Wrong answers get you eliminated, and play continues until one winner is left or there’s a draw.

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…. The carol begins with a reference to God the Father,…