The Twelve Days of Christmas...Day 18

     O.K. the Epiphany (twelfth day of Christmas) was last week but the nativity scene was still up at my church this morning.  I don't mind, it's friendly and its creativity is mesmerizing. The young Spaniard priest in our parish was responsible for its design and a new element was unexpected. Circling about the bottom of the display are tubed lights: one green and one blue.  You've seen this tubing containing relay lights in shop displays  or around the car chassis or license plates of certain young men who like to announce their arrival on the road.  Rather question-raising these racing lights when first seen  but after awhile they seem to add a vital dynamic element to a motionless vignette.
    While we are talking about twelve days, I was completely surprised to learn that there is a real story speculated behind the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas.  For me it was always a bit of an endurance exercise because of its length and the stretching required of one's memory.  What nationality are those hens? How many geese? Where are those pipers piping (hopefully not near me)?  Why are the lords leaping anyway?  The only interesting part of it was to see each year how much it would cost to assemble this gift list. Some group or other always made the calculations (they rented ballet dancers instead of getting real lords of the realm, the cheaters) and announced it to the press.  Like anyone was planning it for me. Yeah. 
     This seemingly endless ditty was a "catechetical tool for teaching children the basics of the faith" during the sixteenth-century English Reformation when tenants of the Catholic faith could not be openly taught. It must have been very comical to see my jaw drop when I read that:  a partridge in a pear tree symbolizes Christ on the cross.  Two turtle doves refers to the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens has duo-explanations in the three gifts of the Spirit, "Faith, Hope and Love" or, because French hens were so valuable, represent the gifts of the three wise men. Four calling birds recall the four major prophets of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel   and/or the Gospel writers of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Those five gold rings represent the first five books of the bible and the six geese laid six days of creation. The seven swimming swans refer to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (1Cor 12:9-10) and those eight milk maids represent the same number of beatitudes on the Sermon on the Mount. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) and those ten leaping ballet lords count the Commandments.  We have left eleven pipers representing the eleven faithful apostles and finally, twelve drummers counting the twelve points of belief expressed in the Apostles' Creed.
    Really?  I must have missed a lesson somewhere because the TDofC usually told me I'd have to wait an agonizing five and a half minutes before the next song. I don't think the nativity will see Day 19 ( I forget the reason why it is still here now) but I rather appreciate the challenge its design and the song provided this season.