The 12 Days of Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

All the gifts have been opened, the leftovers were put away,  and some of us, today,  have spent hours at the stores for more Shopping!!!

During the month of December ads were using the 12 Days of Christmas for selling points....news medias were using it show off Christmas light displays......TV stations were using it for special holiday programming.....but I think, sometimes, we forget that there was a real meaning for the 12 Days of Christmas and that they were and are from Dec 25th-Jan 6th.....

From 1558-1829 it was illegal to be a priest or practicing Catholic in the English Realm or it's colonies....which covered pretty much of the all the known world..... you can guess what the punishment was.....During this time an anonymous song writer created 'The 12 Days of Christmas' for Religious to teach the precepts of the Catholic Faith, but is the foundation of all Christianity.....

The partridge in the pear tree is the symbol for Jesus because this bird is willing to sacrifice its life to protect its young by feigning injury to draw away predators

2 turtle doves- Old and New Testaments

3 French hens- faith, hope, and love.

4 calling birds- the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

5 golden rings- first five books of the Old Testament

6 geese a-laying- six days of creation.

7 swans a-swimming - the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

   Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution,      Leadership, and Mercy.

8 maids a-milking- the eight beatitudes.

9 ladies dancing- the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit

   Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience  Goodness, Mildness, Fidelity,    Modesty, Chastity.

10 lords a-leaping- the Ten Commandments.

11 pipers piping- the eleven faithful Apostles.

12 drummers drumming- symbolized the twelve points of The      Apostles' Creed.

Found at CNA

 It celebrates .......

Day 1, 25 December: Christmas Day.

Day 2, 26 December: St. Stephen's Day. This day is mentioned in the carol "Good King enceslas". Feeding                                   the Poor.

Day 3, 27 December: Feast of saint John the Evangelist and Apostle.

Day 4, 28 December: The Feast of the Holy Innocents, the young male children ordered murdered                                                 in Bethlehem by King Herod, The traditional Christmas song "The Coventry Carol"                                         describes this event.

Day 5, 29 December: The feast day of Saint Thomas Becket.

Day 6, 30 December: The feast of the Holy Family.

Day 7, 31 December: The feast of Saint Sylvester.  In Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech                                     Republic, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy,uxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland                                     and Slovenia, New Years Eve is still referred to as Silvester.

Day 8, 1 January:      The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Before the Second Vatican Council, it was also                                 observed as the Feast of the Holy Circumcision of Jesus

Day 9, 2 January:      Octave day of St. Stephen or the feast day of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory                                         Nazianzen. In England, the Lichfield Martyrs are also celebrated on this day.

Day 10, 3 January:     Feast of Saint Genevieve or the most holy name of Jesus.

Day 11, 4 January:     The octave day of the feast of the Holy Innocents or the feast of St. Elizabeth Ann                                         Seton, the first American saint. In medieval times this was The feast of Saint Simon                                     Stylites.

Day 12, 5 January:  . The evening of the 5 January is also Twelfth Night,.Epiphany Feast of the Three Kings

Found on Wikipedia

 I just wanted to remind those who seem to get all caught up in the secular season fun, which is great...nothing wrong with gift giving and getting....yummy parties.....pretty outfits....and OOOOOO the decorations, but  to remember the true reason for the season.

'God so loved the world he gave His only Son'