The Twelve Days of Christmas
Donald O'Connor & Debbie Reynolds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree
On the second day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the third day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Five gold rings
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying
Five gold rings
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five gold rings
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five gold rings
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five gold rings
Four calling birds
Three French hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree
The Twelve Days of Christmas is a classic Christmas carol that counts down the twelve days from Christmas Day to Epiphany, the day that the three wise men arrived in Bethlehem to honor the baby Jesus. Each day, the true love in the song sends a gift to the singer, with each verse adding another item to the list. The song begins with the gift of a partridge in a pear tree and proceeds to two turtle doves, three French hens, and so on, with each subsequent day adding another group of birds or people. The song culminates with the gift of twelve drummers drumming.
From a symbolic standpoint, the song represents the twelve days of Christmas in a festive and playful way, but it also has religious undertones. Many of the items on the list have Christian symbolism, such as the seven swans a-swimming, which are believed to represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the ten lords a-leaping, which represent the Ten Commandments.
Line by Line Meaning
On the first day of Christmas
At the beginning of the twelve days of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Someone dear to me sent me
A partridge in a pear tree
A bird sitting in a fruit tree
On the second day of Christmas
The second day after Christmas began
Two turtle doves
Two birds that symbolize love and devotion
And a partridge in a pear tree
And another bird sitting on a fruit tree
On the third day of Christmas
The third day of the twelve days of Christmas
Three French hens
Three chickens from France
On the fourth day of Christmas
The fourth day, following the start of Christmas
Four calling birds
Four birds that make noises
On the fifth day of Christmas
The fifth day of the twelve-day Christmas season
Five gold rings
Five rings made of gold
On the sixth day of Christmas
The sixth day in the series of twelve
Six geese a-laying
Six geese that are sitting on eggs
On the seventh day of Christmas
The seventh day during the twelve-day Christmas celebration
Seven swans a-swimming
Seven graceful birds swimming
On the eighth day of Christmas
The eighth day since Christmas commenced
Eight maids a-milking
Eight women milking cows
On the ninth day of Christmas
The ninth day of the twelve-day Christmas celebration
Nine ladies dancing
Nine women who are moving and grooving
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Traditional
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