The four calling birds are associated with both the four evangelists and their gospels– Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the four major prophets– Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.įive golden rings has a two-fold significance. Known for their beauty and rarity, the three French hens signify both the gifts of the Magi (gold, frankincense, and myrrh), and the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Joseph offered a sacrifice of two turtle doves for the presentation of our Lord (cf. Interestingly, our Blessed Mother Mary and St. Also, Jewish couples of modest income offered two turtle doves instead of the customary lamb as a sacrifice to God when they presented their newborn child in the Temple.
Two turtle doves represent the Old and New Testaments. The pear tree symbolizes the salvation of mankind, just as the apple tree symbolizes Adam and Eve’s Fall from Grace. In the same way, our Lord protects us, vulnerable human beings, from Satan. In nature, a mother partridge will feign injury to lure predators away from her defenseless nestlings. The purpose of the repetition is not only for the sake of pedagogy, but also emphasizes God’s continual renewal of His gifts to mankind. The “me” to whom the gifts are presented refers to any baptized Catholic.
The “true love” mentioned in each stanza does not refer to an earthly suitor, but to Almighty God. Therefore, the song The Twelve Days of Christmas was written in England using seemingly secular images or symbols to help catechize children in the faith. Also, the intensity of enforcement of these laws depended upon the particular reign: for example, during the time of the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell (1642-60), the Puritan Parliament even outlawed the celebration of Christmas. Please note that these same penal laws were enforced in Virginia until the time of the Revolutionary War.
However, to this day the King or Queen of the United Kingdom cannot be a Roman Catholic. These laws remained in effect until April, 1829 when King George IV reluctantly signed the Emancipation Bill, granting political and religious freedom to Catholics. Anyone appointed to a civil office had to take an oath denouncing the Pope and the belief in transubstantiation, thereby in effect preventing any Catholic from holding such positions. All Catholic schools were closed and instruction in the faith was forbidden. Anyone who did not attend Protestant services was fined and imprisoned for repeated offenses. Catholic citizens were not allowed to vote, to hold property, to be witnesses in court, or to have weapons. Any Catholic harboring a priest in the home or allowing him to offer Mass was subject to the same penalty. Priests were expelled from the realm, and threatened with the charge of high treason with the punishment of being hung, drawn, and quartered for returning and offering Mass. Some of the various penal laws against Catholicism included the following: The Mass was outlawed. Beginning with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1558, the Roman Catholic Church and any practice of the faith was strictly forbidden.
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