Not only is it repetitive but we also tend to forget what comes after the "five golden rings." A quick search on the Internet reveals, among other possibilities, that this song was a secret code for Catholics in England, allowing them to pursuing the deeper meaning of Christmas while avoiding persecution. Each of the 12 gifts representing some symbol of Christianity. The 12 days represented the days between the birth of the baby Jesus and the festival of the Epiphany. These cover the last six days of the old year and the first six days of the incoming year. Could there be more?
Of course, the number 12 has some obvious applications in our daily lives: there are 12 months in the year, there are 12 hours in each half day, there are the 12 signs of the zodiac, and yes there are 12 disciples (including Judas). Clearly, 12 plays quite a significant role in our daily lives. Surely, the fact that 12 nights (traditionally referred to as Holy Nights) cover Christmas Eve to Epiphany, could not be mere coincidence. Instead, these 12 nights could be replete with significance; a significance that is currently lost to modern man.
Let us look at the two festivals separated by these 12 holy nights: at the start is the birth of the Jesus child, and at the end the visit of the three wise men who seek the new king. Let us now look at our personal lives, at a point of transition: adolescence. In English, there is a clear marker: you become a teenager; in other words, you have completed the first 12 years of your life, as a youth, and now enter into the world of pre-adulthood. A transition from dependency or partial independence in the pre-teen years occurs as one moves into the teen years or pre-adult years. During this time, as all parents with teenagers know, the impulse to express freely who they are, independent from their parents, could not seem stronger. In much the same way, one could say that the 12 holy nights cover the transition of the infant Jesus to king. On Christmas Eve, the birth of the infant Jesus is heralded by angels and recognized by shepherds. The image of innocence, warm family surroundings, and love could not be more pronounced. On this night, we feel the security of a newborn child, safe in the loving embrace of his family. Over the 12 nights, this will change to a new feeling, one where this infant Jesus is now recognized by "strangers" and is also recognized as king; and then, He is under threat as Herod wants to eliminate all possible rivals. No longer is the safety of His immediate surroundings sufficient. He must flee to safety and to find a new home. This too is what we experienced as we turn into teenagers and suddenly awakened to the fact that we were not the lovable, cuddly children of our parents. Thoughts of flight cross our minds; we want to discover who we really are.
Could it be then, that these 12 holy nights is a chance for us to reflect on the 12-year cycles in our own lives? At 12, 24, 36, 48, 60…all these seem to represent turning points in our lives, through adolescence to mid-life, to retirement. During these 12 nights, six from the old or the past and six from the new or future, we have the chance to reflect on where we are in our lives, situated between past and future, understanding our relationship to the past and our responsibilities to the future. There is no other point in the year where the festivals we celebrate, the number of calendar days, the images of the two festivals, seem to come together in such a harmonious way. Somehow, in the hustle and bustle of the season, it would seem truly appropriate for us to provide a little time and space for this reflection. Over 2000 years ago, the Christ-child was born. What does that mean to me? Tomorrow is another day; can I meet this day with the living Christ within me? We need not be at start or end of a 12-year cycle to reflect on these thoughts.
So, instead of looking at these 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany as simply "time to pass between two holidays," let us work to meet them in a manner befitting their traditional name of 12 Holy Nights. Surely, in a quiet corner of our homes or workplaces, we can find the chance for this reflection…. Either that or we sing The Twelve Days of Christmas.