Pentatonix (often abbreviated as PTX) is an American a cappella group of fi… Read Full Bio ↴Pentatonix (often abbreviated as PTX) is an American a cappella group of five vocalists originating from Arlington, Texas. The members are Scott Hoying (baritone lead/harmony), Kirstin Maldonado (mezzo-soprano lead/harmony), Mitch Grassi (counter-tenor lead/harmony), Kevin Olusola (tenor/ percussion), and Matt Sallee (bass). Avi Kaplan was formerly a member of the group; he was replaced by Sallee in 2017. Their work, mostly in, but not limited to, the pop music style, consists of covers of pre-existing songs and some original material, sometimes in the form of medleys. Their music is defined by their own arrangement style, a strong presence of low bass vocals, and a diverse range of vocal percussion.

Pentatonix formed in 2011 and came to prominence the same year by winning the third season of "The Sing-Off" on NBC, their victory earning them $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony. Their debut EP "PTX, Volume 1" was released in 2012, followed by "PTXmas" the same year, with their third release "PTX, Vol. II", debuting at number 1 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart in 2013. 2014 saw the release of "PTX, Vol. III", and their two first full-length albums "PTX, Vols. 1 & 2" (a compilation of Vol. 1 and Vol. II) and "That's Christmas to Me". Their second holiday release, That's Christmas to Me, with the album certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), platinum on December 24, 2014, and double platinum on February 11, 2016, becoming the highest-charting holiday album by a group since 1962, and the fourth-best-selling album in the United States in 2014. The following year, Pentatonix released their album, their first consisting mostly of original material, which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart for the first time in their career, followed by a third Christmas album, A Pentatonix Christmas, in 2016, and a new EP, PTX, Vol. IV – Classics, the following year. In May 2017, Kaplan announced that he would leave Pentatonix due to his inability to keep up with the touring demands of the group; he left after the completion of the tour in September, and was replaced by Matt Sallee the following month.

Pentatonix has won three Grammy Awards: they were the first a cappella act to win Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, doing so in 2015 and 2016, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2017.

Pentatonix started their popular YouTube channel back in 2012 to promote themselves after the Sing-Off (Season 3, 2011) when they were dropped by their record label, according to a recent November 2014 interview. They also made effective use of social media to interact with their fan base. They have eclipsed almost 15 million subscribers and more than 2.7 billion cumulative views. Their music video for "Daft Punk" recently surpassed 273 million views.

The group's website is: www.ptxofficial.com.
Pentatonix official youtube channel: www.youtube.com/PTXofficial.

12 Days of Christmas
Pentatonix Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree

On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me three French hens
Two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me four calling birds
Three French hens two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me five golden rings
Four calling birds three French hens
Two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me six geese-a laying
Five golden rings four calling birds
Three French hens two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Seven swans-a-swimming six geese-a laying
Five golden rings four calling birds
Three French hens two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eight maids-a-milking seven swans-a-swimming
Six geese-a laying five golden rings
Four calling birds three French hens
Two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Nine drummers drumming eight maids-a-milking
Seven swans-a-swimming six geese-a laying
Five golden rings four calling birds
Three French hens two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me ten pipers piping
Nine drummers drumming eight maids-a-milking
Seven swans-a-swimming six geese-a laying
Five golden rings four calling birds
Three French hens two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eleven ladies dancing ten pipers piping
Nine drummers drumming eight maids-a-milking
Seven swans-a-swimming six geese-a laying
Five golden rings four calling birds
Three French hens two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree

On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve lords-a leaping eleven ladies dancing
Ten pipers piping nine drummers drumming
Eight maids-a-milking!
Seven swans-a-swimming! Six geese-a laying
Five golden rings four calling birds

Three French hens two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree

Overall Meaning

"12 Days of Christmas" is a fun and catchy holiday song that has been popular since the 1800s. The song tells the tale of a person receiving a series of gifts from their true love. Each subsequent day brings new and increasingly extravagant gifts, culminating in twelve lords-a-leaping on the twelfth day. The repetition of the list of gifts and the catchy tune make it a popular song to sing and dance to during the Christmas season.

The song's origins are shrouded in mystery, with multiple theories about its creation. One theory is that it originated in England as a children's memory game, with each verse representing a day of the twelve-day Christmas season. Another theory is that it was a secret code used by Catholics in 16th century England to teach their children about their faith. The gifts each represented something significant to the Catholic faith.

Despite the different theories about its origins, "12 Days of Christmas" remains a beloved holiday song around the world. Its whimsical lyrics and catchy melody make it a fun song to sing and a beloved tradition during the holiday season.

Line by Line Meaning

On the first day of Christmas
At the beginning of the twelve-day holiday season

My true love gave to me
I received as a gift from someone I love

A partridge in a pear tree
A bird and a tree, which symbolize Jesus Christ and his teachings

On the second day of Christmas
On the second day of the twelve-day holiday season

Two turtledoves
Two birds, which represent the Old and New Testaments of the Bible

And a partridge in a pear tree
The same bird and tree as the first day, reminding us of the significance of Christ's teachings

On the third day of Christmas
On the third day of the twelve-day holiday season

Three French hens
Three birds, which represent the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love

Two turtledoves
The same two birds as the second day, representing the Old and New Testaments

And a partridge in a pear tree
The same bird and tree as the first day, representing Jesus Christ and his teachings

On the fourth day of Christmas
On the fourth day of the twelve-day holiday season

Four calling birds
Four birds, which represent the four Gospels of the New Testament

Three French hens
The three birds representing faith, hope, and love

Two turtledoves
The two birds representing the Old and New Testaments

And a partridge in a pear tree
The same bird and tree representing Jesus Christ and his teachings

On the fifth day of Christmas
On the fifth day of the twelve-day holiday season

Five golden rings
Five rings, which represent the first five books of the Old Testament

Four calling birds
The four birds representing the four Gospels of the New Testament

Three French hens
The three birds representing faith, hope, and love

Two turtledoves
The two birds representing the Old and New Testaments

And a partridge in a pear tree
The same bird and tree representing Jesus Christ and his teachings

On the sixth day of Christmas
On the sixth day of the twelve-day holiday season

Six geese-a-laying
Six geese, which represent the six days of creation in the book of Genesis

Five golden rings
The five rings representing the first five books of the Old Testament

Four calling birds
The four birds representing the four Gospels of the New Testament

Three French hens
The three birds representing faith, hope, and love

Two turtledoves
The two birds representing the Old and New Testaments

And a partridge in a pear tree
The same bird and tree representing Jesus Christ and his teachings

On the seventh day of Christmas
On the seventh day of the twelve-day holiday season

Seven swans-a-swimming
Seven swans, which represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord

Six geese-a-laying
The six geese representing the six days of creation

Five golden rings
The five rings representing the first five books of the Old Testament

Four calling birds
The four birds representing the four Gospels of the New Testament

Three French hens
The three birds representing faith, hope, and love

Two turtledoves
The two birds representing the Old and New Testaments

And a partridge in a pear tree
The same bird and tree representing Jesus Christ and his teachings

On the eighth day of Christmas
On the eighth day of the twelve-day holiday season

Eight maids-a-milking
Eight maids, which represent the eight beatitudes in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount

Seven swans-a-swimming
The seven swans representing the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

Six geese-a-laying
The six geese representing the six days of creation

Five golden rings
The five rings representing the first five books of the Old Testament

Four calling birds
The four birds representing the four Gospels of the New Testament

Three French hens
The three birds representing faith, hope, and love

Two turtledoves
The two birds representing the Old and New Testaments

And a partridge in a pear tree
The same bird and tree representing Jesus Christ and his teachings

On the ninth day of Christmas
On the ninth day of the twelve-day holiday season

Nine drummers drumming
Nine drummers, which represent the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

Eight maids-a-milking
The eight maids representing the eight beatitudes

Seven swans-a-swimming
The seven swans representing the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

Six geese-a-laying
The six geese representing the six days of creation

Five golden rings
The five rings representing the first five books of the Old Testament

Four calling birds
The four birds representing the four Gospels of the New Testament

Three French hens
The three birds representing faith, hope, and love

Two turtledoves
The two birds representing the Old and New Testaments

And a partridge in a pear tree
The same bird and tree representing Jesus Christ and his teachings

On the tenth day of Christmas
On the tenth day of the twelve-day holiday season

Ten pipers piping
Ten pipers, which represent the ten commandments

Nine drummers drumming
The nine drummers representing the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit