Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas are (depending on differing authorities and sources) either the days from December 26 to January 6, (January 6 being the Epiphany), or the days from Christmas through the eve January 5 of Epiphany. Arguing in favor of the latter is that it coincides more closely with the liturgical Christmas season. However, no less an authority than the 19th century folklorist Sir James George Frazer, favors the December 26 - January 6 interpretation: The last of the mystic twelve days is Epiphany or Twelfth Night ... (The Golden Bough, 1922)

Variations

Sometimes "gave to me" is used instead of "sent to me"; also "five golden rings" is sometimes "five gold rings."

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The line four calling birds is an Americanization of the traditional English wording four colly birds, and in some places, such as Australia, the variation calling is supplanting the original. Colly is a dialect word meaning black and refers to the European blackbird Turdus merula.

Related Topics:
Americanization - Europe - Blackbird

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The line four calling birds in some versions is four coiled birds.

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As well, the last four verses are sometimes interchanged, so that one version of the song may have nine pipers, ten drummers, eleven ladies, twelve lords, or any other combination.

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If a person were to really receive all the gifts in the traditional singing of the song, they would receive a total of 364 items, and no more than 42 of any individual item. Broken down by item, they would get a total of 12 drummers drumming, 22 pipers piping, 30 lords a-leaping, 36 ladies dancing, 40 maids a-milking, 42 swans a-swimming, 42 geese a-laying, 40 golden rings, 36 calling birds, 30 french hens, 22 turtle doves, and 12 partridges in pear trees.

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Many parodies of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" have been written. The version performed by the Canadian comedy team Bob & Doug McKenzie replaces the first gift with "a beer, in a tree" (awkwardly metered to match the traditional "a partridge in a pear tree"), substituting the other gifts on the list with other stereotypically Canadian items such as French toast, back bacon, and tuques.

Related Topics:
Parodies - Canadian - Bob & Doug McKenzie - Metered - French toast - Back bacon - Tuque

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Jeff Foxworthy's "Redneck" version, which has become the most popular parody version heard on American radio as of 2004. The gifts include a 12-pack of Bud, 11 rasslin' tickets, a tin of Copenhagen, 9 years probation, 8 table dancers, 7 packs of Red Man, 6 cans of SPAM, 5 flannel shirts, 4 big mud tires, 3 shotgun shells, 2 hunting dogs, and some parts to a Mustang GT. Unlike most other versions of the song, Foxworthy's does not feature the characteristic numerical verses.

Related Topics:
Jeff Foxworthy - Redneck - As of 2004 - Bud - Rasslin' tickets - Copenhagen - Probation - Red Man - SPAM - Flannel - Big mud tires - Shotgun - Hunting dog - Mustang GT

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A popular parody in the United States, The Twelve Pains of Christmas, does away with numbering altogether and instead lists some of the activities that drive Americans crazy during the Christmas season from lighting, to gift-giving, to dealing with family members, even singing carols.

Related Topics:
United States - Twelve Pains of Christmas

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