12 Days of Christmas: Day 1

In the 20th century, secular society poked fun at the song, “The 12 Days of Christmas” by modernizing it to the times. Little did they realize that it was originally written as a teaching tool, instructing the youth about the Christian faith. Each gift is actually religiously significant. Do you remember each gift?
 “A partridge in a pear tree"
"two turtle doves"
"three French hens"
"four calling birds"
"five golden rings"
"six geese a-laying"
"seven swans a swimming"
"eight maids a milking".
"nine ladies dancing"
"ten lords a-leaping"
"eleven pipers piping".
"twelve drummers drumming"
 Those are the gifts but what is their meaning? To understand this we actually have to look at the opening line of the song, "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me...". Is this a guy giving these gifts to a girl and the girl is singing this as a thank you? Not quite. The "true love" represents God and the "me" who receives these presents is the Christian. These are the gifts of God the Father and it teaches us the meaning and content of the faith.
Also, did you know the twelve days lead up to the next event on the Christian calendar? The last day is the day before Epiphany. Epiphany is the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. It is the moment where the Divine being waited for by the Jews is now known as the Savior of the World.     
Today is the first day of Christmas, the partridge on the tree signifies Jesus Christ who died on a tree as a gift from God. Christ is represented as a mother partridge protecting her young by being a decoy when predators are about. Jesus is our Saviour. When He died, He took on death itself and covers us so we no longer have to suffer the torment due us because of our sins. Believers are no longer left in the dark but can see the light of God. We are to pronounce Him as Lord and Savior to the world so that no one is left in the dark anymore.