Most people think that the twelve days of Christmas are the days leading up to Christmas Day, as we see on TV and in movies every year. While we certainly look forward to Christmas with anticipation and excitement, the time period before Christmas is actually called “Advent.” In addition to reminding us about the anticipation and excitement leading us to Jesus’ birth, the Advent Season reminds us to look for the second coming of Jesus Christ with the same faith and hope.
But let’s set the record straight – the “twelve days of Christmas” actually starts on Christmas Day and ends on January 5th. The Day of Epiphany is on January 6th, which is recognized as the first manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, through the Magi that came from the east to worship Him.
The twelve days of Christmas is a popular concept represented by a song of the same name that is often played on the radio at this time of year. When listening to that song, most people have probably wondered: ‘What does a partridge in a pear tree have to do with Christmas? Or seven swimming swans?’ Five golden rings might sound pretty good, but this is a pretty extravagant gift, right?
The history of the song is a little unclear, ranging from a nursery song and a children’s book to a song that Christians under persecution would sing to proclaim God’s glory. Many Christians have assigned meaning to each of the gifts to remind them of important features of the Christian faith; I will do the same in this devotional mini-series.
The partridge in a pear tree, for example, can stand for Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God, the Word of God incarnate, come to earth all in order to suffer and die for our sins, once and for all. Jesus broke sin and the devil’s hold over us, setting us free. Christ would then rise again from the dead to defeat death itself. That’s much more important than a bird in a fruit tree! Stay tuned as we explore the rest of the twelve days of Christmas.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
(John 3:16-17 ESV)
Soli Deo Gloria!
Philip Frank
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”The Twelve Days of Christmas” song image in the corner is by Xavier Romero-Frias and used under Creative Commons license BY-SA 3.0.
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