2022 Wednesday — 11th Day of Christmas

Yesterday a friend posted on Social Media what day of Christmas it was. That post launched several comments.

The author of the post is an artist friend, who years ago drew poster size images for the well known song The Twelve Days of Christmas. On yesterday’s media post, one friend asked our artist friend if he still had the posters. He said he did not and actually didn't even remember them.

Mr. Fun & I just happened to have those posters. So today I took a photo of one and added it to the comments.

The artist author then asked me if I would upload photos of the others. So I did and I've included them here in a collage.

Below is some of what I learned about these days of Christmas:

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Traditional counting makes this the 11th day of Christmas. Tradition makes Twelfth Night the night of Epiphany, or January the 6th.

The true Christmas season actually starts on Christmas Day. That’s right: December 25 marks the official start of the 12 days of Christmas, the Christian tradition that shares its name with a relentlessly stick-in-your-head Christmas carol.

The 12 days of Christmas is the period in Christian theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings’ Day). The four weeks preceding Christmas are collectively known as Advent, which begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on December 24.

The 12 Days of Christmas is also a Christmas carol in which the singer brags about all the cool gifts they received from their “true love” during the 12 days of Christmas. Each verse builds on the previous one, serving as a really effective way to annoy family members on road trips.

Some think The 12 Days of Christmas are coded references to Christianity; it posits that the song was written to help Christians learn and pass on the tenets of their faith while avoiding persecution. Under that theory, the various gifts break down as follows

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch,” which gives the history of man’s fall from grace
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed

The partridge in the pear tree, naturally, represents Jesus Christ.

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Good Night on the 11th night!
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol
and Chloe & Mitzi Too!