Another suggestion is that an old English drinking song may have furnished the idea for the first gift. William B. Sandys refers to it as a "convivial glee introduced a few years since, 'A Pie [i.e., a magpie] sat on a Pear Tree,' where one drinks while the others sing." [57] The image of the bird in the pear tree also appears in lines from a children's counting rhyme an old Mother Goose. [45] A pye sate on a pear tree, Heigh O Once so merrily hopp'd she; Heigh O Twice so merrily, etc. Thrice so, etc. French hens [ edit ] This would explain the number of verses in the song, and the repetition of each previous gift in every new verse. The Twelve Days today

Halliwell, writing in 1842, stated that "[e]ach child in succession repeats the gifts of the day, and forfeits for each mistake." [6] This is probably the easiest gift to understand. As lords were judges and in charge of the law, this code for the Ten Commandments was fairly straightforward to Catholics. Federer, William J. (6 January 2014). "On the 12th Day of Christmas". American Minute . Retrieved 25 December 2014. In 567 AD, the Council of Tours ended a dispute. Western Europe celebrated Christmas, 25 December, as the holiest day of the season... but Eastern Europe celebrated Epiphany, 6 January, recalling the Wise Men's visit and Jesus' baptism. It could not be decided which day was holier, so the Council made all 12 days from 25 December to 6 January "holy days" or "holidays," These became known as "The Twelve Days of Christmas." The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Twelvetide, is a festive Christian season celebrating the Nativity of Jesus. In some Western ecclesiastical traditions, " Christmas Day" is considered the "First Day of Christmas" and the Twelve Days are 25 December to 5 January, inclusive, [1] with 6 January being a "thirteenth day" in some traditions and languages. However, 6 January is sometimes considered Twelfth Day/Twelfth Night with the Twelve Days "of" Christmas actually after Christmas Day from 26 December to 6 January. [2] For many Christian denominations—for example, the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Church—the Twelve Days are identical to Christmastide, [3] [4] [5] but for others, e.g. the Roman Catholic Church, Christmastide lasts longer. and continues like this for every of the twelve days, adding a new gift in every verse and repeating and accumulating the already received gifts.Wells, Robin Headlam (2005). Shakespeare's Humanism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-82438-5. OCLC 62132881. While not a celebration in itself, these twelve days are embedded into the culture of multiple Christian nations. The Twelve Days of Christmas" is a cumulative song, meaning that each verse is built on top of the previous verses. There are twelve verses, each describing a gift given by "my true love" on one of the twelve days of Christmas. While a fascinating theory, it has been debunked as a potential lyrical origin story as there is no supporting evidence or documentation to suggest this was ever the case. In the final verse, Austin inserted a flourish on the words "Five gold rings". This has not been copied by later versions, which simply repeat the melody from the earlier verses. Earlier melodies [ edit ]

The exact origins and the meaning of the song are unknown, but it is highly probable that it originated from a children's memory and forfeit game. [42] The earliest known publications of the words to The Twelve Days of Christmas were an illustrated children's book, Mirth Without Mischief, published in London in 1780, and a broadsheet by Angus, of Newcastle, dated to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries. [4] [5] The second day of Christmas my true love sent to me two turtle-doves, a partridge, and a pear-tree; From Edward Rimbault's Nursery Rhymes, with the Tunes to which They Are Still Sung in the Nurseries of England (1846). [12] Collins, Ace; Clint Hansen (2003). Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. ISBN 978-0-310-24880-4. OCLC 52311813.

Multibuys

A lady begins it, generally an elderly lady, singing the first line in a high clear voice, the person sitting next takes up the second, the third follows, at first gently, but before twelfth day is reached the whole circle were joining in with stentorian noise and wonderful enjoyment. Similar statements are found in John Rutter's 1967 arrangement, [76] and in the 1992 New Oxford Book of Carols. [77] Austin's arrangement was published by Novello & Co. in 1909. [69] [70] [71] [72] According to a footnote added to the posthumous 1955 reprint of his musical setting, Austin wrote: [73] According to The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, "Suggestions have been made that the gifts have significance, as representing the food or sport for each month of the year. Importance [certainly has] long been attached to the Twelve Days, when, for instance, the weather on each day was carefully observed to see what it would be in the corresponding month of the coming year. Nevertheless, whatever the ultimate origin of the chant, it seems probable [that] the lines that survive today both in England and France are merely an irreligious travesty." [46]

Festive atmosphere during the Twelve Days of Christmas The Twelve Days of Christmas, also called Christmastide ("Christmas time") and sometimes referred to as Twelvetide, is another name for the festive Christmas season celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a period of celebration, feasting and Saints' Days. It starts on Christmas Day , December 25, and ends on January 5 of the following year, known as Twelfth Night or Epiphany Eve.

Hobbies

Fox, Adam (19 December 2003). " 'Tis the season". The Guardian . Retrieved 25 December 2014. Around the year 400 the feasts of St Stephen, John the Evangelist and the Holy Innocents were added on succeeding days, and in 567 the Council of Tours ratified the enduring 12-day cycle between the nativity and the epiphany. Jasper Carrott performed "Twelve Drinks of Christmas" where he appears to be more inebriated with each successive verse. [90] This was based on Scottish comedian Bill Barclay's version. [91] Caulkins, Mary; Jennie Miller Helderman (2002). Christmas Trivia: 200 Fun & Fascinating Facts About Christmas. New York: Gramercy. ISBN 978-0-517-22070-2. OCLC 49627774.