Courtney Gilmore Legend has it that the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was written to secretly teach the key tenants of faith at a time when Catholicism was against the law in England. Some believe this is just a myth, but whether it was written for this purpose or not, it has been used to teach these twelve foundational principles for hundreds of years. It’s a great way to wrap up the year and begin a new one. So, here is the hidden meaning behind the song.
December 25th
On the First Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – a partridge in a pear tree
As Christians, our true love is God. The first day of Christmas is Christmas Day, and a partridge is the only bird that will die to protect its young. So, on Christmas Day, God gave us Jesus, our Savior. Immanuel, God with us. That perfect baby, born of a virgin, conceived of the Holy Spirit, would later sacrifice His life to save us from our sins. This is the greatest gift!
December 26th
On the Second Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – two turtle doves
Turtle dove are a type of bird that stay together forever. These two represent the New and Old Testaments. Just as a married couple are no longer two but one, these two testimonies make one complete book called The Bible. The Old Testament is the testimony of the Israel and the prophets, and the New Testament is the testimony of Jesus and the Church. The New fulfills the Old and the two cannot be understood separately. They must always be read in conjunction with one other to comprehend the Bible fully. So, God not only gave us Jesus, but He also gave us two separate testimonies of Him through Israel and Jesus.
December 27th
On the Third Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – three French hens
These chickens have blue legs, a white body, and a red comb. They are called French hens because these are the three colors of the French flag. They represent faith, hope, and love.
1 Corinthians 13 is called the love chapter. It tells us what love is and says that it will never fail. Prophesies will cease, tongues will be stilled, and knowledge will pass away. But these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. God gave us faith, hope, and love to be with us forever.
December 28th
On the Fourth Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – four calling birds
These four birds are the four gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, which are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The word gospel means good news. So, God gave us the four gospels to call out the good news of Jesus. Without these four accounts, we would not know about the life of Christ. They tell of His birth, then walk us through His ministry, and end with His death, burial, and resurrection.
December 29th
On the Fifth Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – five golden rings
Gold is of great value and something to be treasured. These five golden rings symbolize the first five books of the bible, which were all written by Moses. The Jews call these books the Torah and Christians call them the Pentateuch, which just means five. These foundational books are of great value to all that come after them. Throughout the Bible, history and the prophets refer to the Book of Moses. Even Jesus asked if the people had not read the Book of Moses because they seemed to not know the Scriptures or the power of God. These first five books are essential to the rest, which makes them valuable like a piece of gold around our finger.
December 30th
On the Sixth Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – six geese a-laying
The eggs that these six geese lay, represent the six days when God hatched all of creation: the day and night; the sky and the sea; the dry ground with all its vegetation; the sun, moon, and stars which gave us the days, seasons, and years; all the animals; and people who were created in His image. When you think of all that God gave us in these first six days, how can you not praise Him? All the beauty; all the provision; and all the love and care. God’s creation is a great gift!
December 31st
On the Seventh Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – seven swans a-swimming
Swans are considered one of the most graceful animals, so it is fitting that they represent the seven gifts that our True Love graciously gives to us when we become Christians. Upon our profession of faith, the Holy Spirit gives each of us a different gift that can be used to benefit other believers. They’re the gifts of prophesy, service, teaching, encouragement, generosity, leadership, and kindness. These are not passive gifts that we just receive and set aside. They are meant to be used together with the gifts of other believers, to grow and serve the church.
January 1st
On the Eighth Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – eight maids a-milking
A milk maid was a very lowly service job. These women were known as pure and poor. Just as the ones that Jesus blessed in His Sermon on the Mount, they were lacking. But our True Love tells us that though we may feel that we are lacking in some way, we are blessed by Him. These blessings are called the Beatitudes. He will meet our needs and fill our heart’s desire. We are truly loved by Him!
January 2nd
On the Ninth Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – nine ladies dancing
The more time we spend with our True Love, the more we begin to act like Him. When we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, His Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. Then the more we feed and water His Spirit, the more our inner spirit grows and begins to produce fruit. These nine fruits of His Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
I used to think these were attributes that I could attain if I only worked at it. But when I looked more closely at these scriptures I realized that our human actions are against God and these godly qualities cannot be acquired by us at all. That is because these are gifts from our True Love, a product of His power working within us. The more time we spend with Him, the more we naturally produce these qualities. So, if you are like I once was, stop trying so hard and just spend time with God instead. Then see if He doesn’t begin working and producing fruit in you, too.
For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:34
January 3rd
On the Tenth Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – lords a-leaping
The lords of the land are the judges and keepers of the law. Because our God loves us so much, He gave us the Ten Commandments. These are ten rules to live by. They teach us how to love God and each other. By learning not to put anything above Him or worship another, and by honoring His name and keeping His sabbaths, we show Him our love. Then by honoring our parents, being faithful to our spouses, not harming or lying to each other, and not stealing or coveting things that don’t belong to us, we show love to each other. These ten commands are gifts because they teach us how to love.
January 4th
On the Eleventh Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – eleven pipers piping
These are the eleven faithful disciples piping to everyone about Jesus. The twelfth disciple, Judas, felt so guilty for betraying Jesus that he gave the silver payment back and killed himself. But after Jesus’s resurrection and ascension, the other eleven began to spread the word about who Jesus was. They were a gift to us all because this was the beginning of the church age. Like the prophets of the Old Testament, these disciples wrote some of the books in the New Testament. They dedicated their lives to carrying on the work that Jesus called them to through His Great Commission – traveling, teaching, preaching, and creating more disciples.
January 5th
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me – twelve drummers drumming
These drummers drummed into all the people the twelve points of doctrine found in the Apostle’s Creed. This creed was written after the generation who lived during the time of Jesus had passed away and the church was growing exponentially. With so many believers, in so many different places, under so many different leaders, a core doctrine needed to be established. This creed stated the foundational beliefs of all Christians and kept everyone unified, even though they were scattered over the whole earth.
The first three points state the doctrine of the Trinity. Then, the creed explains that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, conceived of the the Holy Spirit, and tells the events of His death: Jesus was crucified; descended into hell and rose after three days; ascended into heaven; and will come again to judge the living and the dead. The last five points restate their belief in the Holy Spirit, then the catholic or universal church, the forgiveness of sins, the physical resurrection of Jesus, and eternal life. It’s a great gift to have these core beliefs listed so explicitly from the early church fathers.
January 6th
This is the day of Epiphany, which means manifestation or revelation. This is the day when we remember how Jesus was made manifest to the Wise Men who had seen His star in the East and come to worship Him. They brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, which could be some of how the tradition of gift giving began. This is the last event in the Christmas story and the last celebration of the Christmas season.
Beginning a New Year
So, as this new year begins, reflect on your True Love and all the gifts He has given you. How can you give back to Him in this new year? Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? Present your bodies as a living sacrifice back to Him. This is the only reasonable way to serve Him. Since He was willing to die for you, you should be willing to live for Him.
Since He has given you the Bible, commit to read both the Old and New Testaments this year. There are many reading plans that can help you read through the whole bible in a year and there are also resources that will give you an overview of the whole Bible in a year without reading every single word. These are all helpful, but don’t stress about it. Just commit to read His Word and listen to what He has to say. You don’t have to finish the whole Bible this year but try to get a balanced view. Maybe set a goal to at least read the Pentateuch and the Gospels this year. Then, you can read further next year.
I would love for you to join me on Podcast, YouTube, or Substack as we work our way through the Old Testament. I love the Old Testament but I know that if you try to just read it through, it can be hard. So, we are slowly working our way through each book, referencing the New Testament and looking at the Bible as one whole book. We are currently in the book of Joshua but the episodes on Podcast and YouTube begin in Genesis. You will find lessons beginning in Deuteronomy on Substack.
Praise, Worship, and Serve
Because your True Love has given you a beautiful creation in all His provision and care, take note of it this year and praise Him for it. Spend time out in nature. Admire a sunrise or sunset. Try a variety of foods and thank Him for their nourishment. Play in the rain or go for a swim. Look up at the clouds or take a flight high up in the air. Lay on a blanket out under the stars. Soak up the greatness of every season this year. Enjoy your pets, love on others, and rest in His presence.
Spend time with your True Love this year. Set aside a portion of each day to not only read His Word but to talk to Him. Get to know Him. Let His Spirit produce fruit in you. Go to church. Fellowship with others. Use your gifts to serve and build His kingdom here on earth. Join the disciples in fulfilling the Great Commission. Spread the gospel. Gather other believers. Teach, learn, and grow.
