The Twelve Days of Christmas is a famous English Christmas carol about the twelve days after Christmas.
The twelve days of Christmas start on Christmas Day (December 25th) and last until the evening of the 5th January – also known as Twelfth Night, or Epiphany.
The song is about a series of gifts that get bigger and bigger on each of the twelve days of Christmas.
The gifts are:
A partridge in a pear tree
Two turtle doves
Three French hens
Four calling birds
Five gold rings
Six geese a laying
Seven swans a swimming
Eight maids a milking
Nine ladies dancing
Ten lords a leaping
Eleven pipers piping
Twelve drummers drumming
The first version of the song appeared in 1780 in a children’s book called ‘Mirth without Mischief’.
It was probably designed as a memory game, where each person had to remember a longer part of the song. If they made a mistake they would have to do a forfeit.
The melody for the song was written by the English composer Frederic Austin in 1909.
Lyrics
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 turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three French hens,
Two turtle doves, 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 turtle doves 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 turtle doves 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 turtle doves
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 turtle doves 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 turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings,
Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, ten lords a leaping,
Nine ladies dancing, eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying,
Five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves
And a Partridge in a pear tree.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a leaping nine ladies dancing, eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming,
Six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens,
Two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping, ten lords a leaping nine ladies dancing, eight maids a milking,
Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds,
Three French hens, two turtle doves and a Partridge in a pear tree.
How many gifts are there in total in the 12 Days of Christmas?
(Answer at the end of the article!)
How many gifts are there in total in the 12 Days of Christmas?
If you were receive all the presents in the song, you’d get 364!
Day 1 – receive 1 gift
Day 2 – receives 3 additional gifts, making 4 total gifts
Day 3 – receives 6 additional gifts, making 10 total gifts
Day 4 – receives 10 additional gifts, making 20 total gifts
Day 5 – receives 15 additional gifts, making 35 total gifts
Day 6 – receives 21 additional gifts, making 56 total gifts
Day 7 – receives 28 additional gifts, making 84 total gifts
Day 8 – receives 36 additional gifts, making 120 total gifts
Day 9 – receives 45 additional gifts, making 165 total gifts
Day 10 – receives 55 additional gifts, making 220 total gifts
Day 11 – receives 66 additional gifts, making 286 total gifts
Day 12 – receives 78 additional gifts, making 364 total gifts received.
