AND it came to pass in those days, that
there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus,
that all the• world should be taxed•.
(And this taxing• was first made when Cyrenius
was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into
his own city.And Joseph also went up from
Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into
Judaea, unto the city of David, which is
called Bethlehem•; (because he was of the
house and lineage of David:
To be taxed with Mary his espoused• wife,
being great with child.And so it was, that,
while they were there, the days were
accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son,
and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and
laid him in a manger; because there was
no room for them in the inn•.
And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came
upon them, and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them: and they were
sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings
of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city
of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host praising
God, and saying,
Glory• to God in the highest, and on *earth
*peace, *good will toward men.!!
The exact day of the
Christ child's birth
has never been pinpointed.
Traditions say that it
has been celebrated
since the year
98 AD. In 137 AD the
Bishop of Rome ordered
the birthday of the
Christ Child celebrated
as a solemn feast.In
350 AD another Bishop
of Rome, Julius I,
chose December 25th as
the observance of Christmas.
~12 Days of Christmas~
People often think of The Twelve Days
of Christmas as the days preceding the
festival. Actually, Christmas is a season
of the Christian Year that last for days,
beginning December 25 and lasting until
January 6 - the Day of Epiphany when the
church celebrates the revelation of Christ
as the light of the world and recalls the
journey of the Magi.
From 1558 until 1829 people in England
were not allowed to practice their faith
openly. During this era someone wrote
'The Twelve Days of Christmas' as a kind
of secret catechism that could be sung in
public without risk of persecution.
The song has two levels of interpretation:
"the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning
known only to members of the church."
Each element in the carol is a code word
for a religious reality.
1-The partridge in a pear tree is
Jesus Christ.
2-The two turtledoves are the Old
and New Testaments.
3-Three French hens stand for faith,
hope and love.
4-The four calling birds are the
four Gospels.
5-The five gold rings recall the
torah (Law) the first five books
of the Old Testament.
6-The six geese a-laying stand for
the six days of creation.
7-Seven swans a-swimming represent
the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit.
8-The eight maids a-milking are the
eight beatitudes.12
9-Nine ladies dancing are the nine
fruits of the spirit (Gal.5).
10-The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
11-Eleven pipers piping stand for
the eleven faithful disciples.
12-Twelve drummers drumming symbolize
the 12 points of belief in the Apostles
Creed.
There you have it, the HIDDEN meaning
of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and
the secret behind the song.
Honeybunn'S DeSigns
