ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS…”
So begins one of the best known and favorite Christmas carols. The origin of this delightful song is believed to be French, a children’s forfeit game with ever more elaborate gifts added to the collection, verse by verse, as a test of memory.
The song was first published in English in 1780. The twelve day of Christmas are those between Christmas and the Epiphany on January 6, which marks the end of the Christmas season on the religious calendar.
Whatever its origins, the carol grew in popularity throughout Europe during the 19th century. Numerous versions and variations of its lyrics and tune emerged during this time, primarily because the music and words were passed down from performer to performer and from location to location in verbal form, not written. Some places substituted the words in their own language or dialect.
Some of the 1780 lyrics remain intact in the version we sing today, which is derived from a 1909 arrangement of traditional folk melody by English composer Frederic Austin, who added the five golden rings to the original.
EVOLUTION
Scottish poet and artist William Scott Bell recorded an early version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" in 1892. The words are substantially the same as today but in his version each verse concludes not with “a partridge in a pear tree,” but with a more ostentatious “very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.”
So begins one of the best known and favorite Christmas carols. The origin of this delightful song is believed to be French, a children’s forfeit game with ever more elaborate gifts added to the collection, verse by verse, as a test of memory.
The song was first published in English in 1780. The twelve day of Christmas are those between Christmas and the Epiphany on January 6, which marks the end of the Christmas season on the religious calendar.
Whatever its origins, the carol grew in popularity throughout Europe during the 19th century. Numerous versions and variations of its lyrics and tune emerged during this time, primarily because the music and words were passed down from performer to performer and from location to location in verbal form, not written. Some places substituted the words in their own language or dialect.
Some of the 1780 lyrics remain intact in the version we sing today, which is derived from a 1909 arrangement of traditional folk melody by English composer Frederic Austin, who added the five golden rings to the original.
EVOLUTION
Scottish poet and artist William Scott Bell recorded an early version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" in 1892. The words are substantially the same as today but in his version each verse concludes not with “a partridge in a pear tree,” but with a more ostentatious “very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.”
In the original 1780 version with additions by Frederic Austin, the “four calling birds” are “four colly birds.” Colly – literally “coaly” – is the old English word meaning “soot-black.” By the mid-19th century, however, the word colly had largely fallen out of use, leaving several Victorian editions of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" to come up with their own replacements. “Colour’d birds” and even “curley birds” were used in some editions, while an exotic “four canary birds” were added to the lyrics of one version. The now-standard “four calling birds” first appeared in the early 1900s.
In 1869, an article appeared in The English magazine The Cliftonian which described a traditional Christmas in rural Gloucestershire, southwest England. The author of the article wrote he had heard some local carolers singing a curious Christmas song, which he noted for the “peculiarity and the utter absurdity of the words.” He goes on to explain that the carol “proceeds in this ascending manner until on the twelfth day of Christmas the young lady receives … [an] astounding tribute of true love”—among which are “eight hares a-running” and “eleven badgers baiting.”
If you want to get into all the variations, Wikipedia lists twenty different variations dating from 1780 to 1966. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song)
There is an amazing collection of critters and people, along with bell’s a-ringing and sprigs of juniper, participating in this multitude of verses.
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
In 1869, an article appeared in The English magazine The Cliftonian which described a traditional Christmas in rural Gloucestershire, southwest England. The author of the article wrote he had heard some local carolers singing a curious Christmas song, which he noted for the “peculiarity and the utter absurdity of the words.” He goes on to explain that the carol “proceeds in this ascending manner until on the twelfth day of Christmas the young lady receives … [an] astounding tribute of true love”—among which are “eight hares a-running” and “eleven badgers baiting.”
If you want to get into all the variations, Wikipedia lists twenty different variations dating from 1780 to 1966. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song)
There is an amazing collection of critters and people, along with bell’s a-ringing and sprigs of juniper, participating in this multitude of verses.
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me:
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me:
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me:
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me:
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me:
Eight hares a-running,
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
Eight hares a-running,
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Nine bulls a-roaring,
Eight hares a-running,
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
Nine bulls a-roaring,
Eight hares a-running,
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me:
Ten asses racing,
Nine bulls a-roaring,
Eight hares a-running,
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
Ten asses racing,
Nine bulls a-roaring,
Eight hares a-running,
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Eleven badgers badging,
Ten asses racing,
Nine bulls a-roaring,
Eight hares a-running,
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
Eleven badgers badging,
Ten asses racing,
Nine bulls a-roaring,
Eight hares a-running,
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me:
Twelve dancers dancing,
Eleven badgers badging,
Ten asses racing,
Nine bulls a-roaring,
Eight hares a-running,
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
Twelve dancers dancing,
Eleven badgers badging,
Ten asses racing,
Nine bulls a-roaring,
Eight hares a-running,
Seven squabs a-swimming,
Six Geese a Laying,
Five golden rings,
Four soot-black birds,
Three fat hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.
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