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- tells a version of history in which each of the song’s days represents a Christian belief
- each spread discusses each day, along with a large illustration and Bible reference
- final page explains how the twelve days of Christmas are actually the days between Christmas (Dec 25th) and Epiphany (Jan 6th) as well as give ideas for celebrating
Type: picture book
Ages: 4-8
Author: Helen Haidle
Illustrator: Celeste Henriquez
Try as I have, the internet has not provided me any proof of this actually being the historic reason for writing the infamous song. Most researchers I’ve read from counter it with simple logic but even that has holes. It seems to me that this song was simply a party game from a few hundred years ago. The author has one small sentence referencing where she found her information, but I have been unable to locate a copy of it. It appears to be a publication from the Catholic Church, which lowers the book’s reliability in my opinion.
That all said, using the song as a tool to teach beliefs isn’t inherently bad. The book claiming it’s the true history is the main issue I wanted to point out. It may very well be correct, but nobody seems to know! And it might be a creative way to help your family remember certain things. Here are some examples:
Third day – “French hens were valuable poultry during the sixteenth century–only the rich could afford them. These costly birds symbolized the three valuable gifts given to Jesus by the wise men: gold, frankincense, and myrrh…”
Sixth day – “In many cultures, eggs symbolize new life. Six geese laying eggs become reminders of the six days of creation when God, by his Word, brought forth life on earth…”
Seventh day – “Seven swans symbolize the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Just as baby swans grow and change from ‘ugly ducklings’ into beautiful and graceful birds, so do God’s children grow and change through the work of the Holy Spirit…”
So you can see that there are neat assists for remembering biblical aspects. I recommend, if you happen to have this book, using it simply for that reason and not for discovering accurate history.
