a partridge

  Are you starting the twelve days of Christmas today? Perhaps you started that yesterday. As for me, I start counting on Christmas day. Just what are the twelve days of Christmas anyway? Are they the twelve days you give gifts as in the song. Well it depends upon your tradition. Growing up it was just a song to me and I never gave it much thought. This morning my wife said the twelve days of Christmas begins. She isn't wrong, but there is the traditional twelve days of Christmas which doesn't begin until Christmas day and ends on Jan 6th. January the sixth is the first day of Epiphany. That was the day the magi arrived at the manger and Jesus was revealed to be the son of God. The song, the twelve days of Christmas has been around a very long time, so long that no one knows the origin of it for sure. Bing Crosby and the Andrew sisters recorded that song in 1949. If they hadn't maybe we would have forgotten all about the twelve days of Christmas in America. There is much I didn't know about all of that. Either I just wasn't paying attention, or we weren't taught much about it. The three kings came from the orient, knew that from the song, but not exactly when they arrived. I wasn't aware it was twelve days after Jesus was born before they showed up. I was under the impression they showed up just in time for the birth. I had also never heard the term, twelfth day. Twelfth day is January the 6th. Who knew? 

 I said I start counting on Christmas day but that is only in the last few years. I'm certain I have written about this before, as my wife would say, what haven't you written about, and discovered the tradition is actually begun on that day, on Jesus's birthday. For that reason I'll be saying the twelve days of Christmas begins Christmas day and runs till Jan the sixth. That is because I love tradition because it's well, traditional. I like old traditions and have no desire to start a new one.

  I'm sure you have all read what the presents mean in the song. The two turtle doves being the old and new testament and the three French hens being faith, hope and love. I won't go down the list but it is interesting to look it up. It isn't just a silly song like I thought it was as a child. A partridge in a pear tree? Partridges are on the ground, like a chicken, why would it be in a tree? Later on there was the Partridge family but that's a different story altogether.

 Now having read more about the the twelve days of Christmas and its' true significance I am wondering. Have we, in more modern times, shifted the focus to receiving gifts instead of celebrating the gift? I wasn't taught any of that as a child, at least, I don't think I was. It was just a song we sang, like deck the halls or Frosty the snowman. Now I know differently. I also found out I should leave the Christmas decorations up until Jan the sixth. In the last few years I have always packed mine away on New Years day. Guess I should follow tradition and wait on that. After all, the wise men should see the decorations too. I have been putting them away before they even got there! Well, except for this year, the wise men have shown up early to the scene. They have always been early. The shepherds were the first to get there, way ahead of the wise men. 

 Well no natter which way you view the twelve days of Christmas it really makes no difference, What is important is to understand what the gifts, you received, are! Yes, you were given twelve gifts by the birth of Christ. That's what the twelve days are all about. Although no one knows for certain who wrote the song, it was most likely a chant first. It appears in history during a time when being a practicing Catholic wasn't allowed. That would get you killed! So, the chant or song was composed with a hidden meaning. Only true Christians would understand the symbols used. In that way they could celebrate without drawing attention to themselves. Hey, it worked with me as a kid. I didn't know anything about that. And today I would have to say it is a tradition lost. Do we celebrate the twelve days of Christmas? No, not really. I heard that the Jewish people exchange gifts every night during Hanukah, but that's only eight days. I don't know what it is they are celebrating though, just that it is sometimes called the festival of lights. I really should read more about that to gain an understanding. Strange that I've had Jewish friends and never thought to ask them about that. Guess the topic never came up. I don't recall anyone making a big deal about it at Christmas, what the Jewish people were doing I mean. I knew a Jewish man that played Santa Claus and wished me Merry Christmas, no big deal. I guess folks just weren't as interested in pushing the agendas or religion on others back then. Never made a bit of difference to me what church you attended, or Synagogue for that matter. 

 Now I'm certain there are people that are all well aware of all of this that I have written about. I'm certain there are folks that do celebrate the twelve days of Christmas. Hanukah seems to always be close to Christmas, seemed earlier this year although I don't really pay attention as I don't practice Judaism. We all have our own traditions, even the ones we share with one another. Each family incorporates some small piece into that tradition. That is what makes traditions special. So however you observe the holidays, whether it be candles, twelve days, Christmas trees or Menorahs I hope you don't lose sight of why. My thinking is the why is getting lost in the doing. When singing that song remember who the true love really is. And why the Partridge? The partridge is a bird that will sacrifice their own life to save their children. Did you know that? I didn't for many years but read about it. Makes sense now doesn't it?