Hidden meaning in annoying Christmas carol

Is it possible that arguably one of the most annoying Christmas carols was a cleverly disguised mantra for Catholics during a time of persecution?

When "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was first published in a seemingly innocuous children's book in 1780, the practice of Catholicism was greatly stigmatized and being brutally put down in England.

It was a time of anti-Catholic riots, most notably the Gordon Riots of 1780, during which anti-Papists as they were known looted and burnt parts of London including the Bank of England.

Enter "The Twelve Days of Christmas" penned by an anonymous author and featured in a little book aptly entitled "Mirth and Mischief".

In the carol, "my true love" bestows an ever-increasing number of gifts but could it be that these "gifts" are indeed codified tenets of the Christian faith and more specifically Catholicism?

To explain, let's work backwards.

12 Drummers Drumming: The twelve points or articles of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed. These are:

Article 1: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

Article 2: And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

Article 3: Who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

Article 4: He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

Article 5: He descended into hell. The third day he arose again from the dead.

Article 6: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

Article 7: He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Article 8: I believe in the Holy Spirit.

Article 9: the holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, Catholics believe that the Church is more than a mere institution and certainly not a necessary evil.

Article 10: the forgiveness of sins, Christ came to save the world from sin.

Article 11: the resurrection of the body. From the Catholic perspective, a human being is a union of body and soul, so death is just the momentary separation of body and soul until the end of the world.

Article 12: And in life everlasting. As Christ Our Savior died, so, too, must mere mortals.

11 Pipers Piping: The 11 faithful apostles or disciples of Jesus, namely Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Simon and Jude.

10 Lords a-Leaping: The Ten Commandments. God gave the 10 Commandments from Mount Sinai, amid earthquakes and the fanfare of a thousand trumpets to Moses who then recorded God’s words in Exodus 20 and recounted the event again in Deuteronomy 5. The 10 are:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.

2. You shall not make idols.

3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor your father and your mother.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness (lie) against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet (envy what others have).

9 Ladies Dancing: The nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. These nine attributes of a person or community living in accord with the Holy Spirit, according to chapter 5 of the Epistle to the Galatians are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

8 Maids a-Milking: The Eight Beatitudes said by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, namely:

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

2. Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

3. Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the Earth.

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be satisfied.

5. Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

8. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

7 Swans a-Swimming: The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, or the Seven Sacraments namely Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Anointing of the sick, Marriage and Holy orders.

6 Geese a-Laying: The six days of creation as outlined in the first book of the Bible, Genesis.

5 Golden Rings: The first five books of the Old Testament which outline humankind's fall from grace. These are collectively known as "The Pentateuch" and are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

4 Calling Birds: The Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament which describe the life and word of Jesus.

3 French Hens: This refers to Faith, Hope and Charity (Love), the theological virtues as described by Paul the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 13, who also pointed out that “the greatest of these is charity (love).” Incidentally, this is a very popular reading at modern-day church wedding services.

2 Turtle Doves: Refers to the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

and, finally...

1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree: Refers to Jesus himself. Intriguingly, partridges do not sit in pear trees, any trees for that matter as they are ground nesters. Why a pear tree? Well, it's thought the carol was translated from French and "partridge" in French is "perdrix" which could sound like "pear tree" in English.

OK, well why a partridge representing Jesus? The partridge is only mentioned twice in Scripture. In Jeremiah, it is used as a metaphor for a bird which is tricked into caring for other birds' eggs. God says He cannot be tricked in the same way. Christians must do the work of being good and Holy if they want to ultimately be accepted into Heaven.

On the flipside, a partridge is a beautiful, plump game bird with plenty of flesh. It takes skill and dedication to capture one but the rewards are great. In the same way, and speaking from personal experience, finding God and Jesus and listening to the Holy Spirit is a daily dedication with awesome and fulfilling rewards for the soul.