Message-ID: <6516169.1075851840443.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 07:35:00 -0800 (PST) From: angela.barnett@enron.com To: lsharis@msn.com, regina.blackshear@enron.com, judy.hernandez@enron.com, diane.salcido@enron.com, carla.tobias@enron.com, lois.ford@enron.com, sandra.mcnichols@enron.com, caicedo9502@yahoo.com Subject: Fwd: [The Meaning Behind The Twelve Days Of Christmas] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Angela Barnett X-To: lsharis@msn.com, Regina Blackshear, Judy Hernandez, Diane Salcido, Carla Tobias, Lois Ford, Sandra R McNichols, caicedo9502@yahoo.com X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Juan_Hernandez_Nov2001\Notes Folders\All documents X-Origin: HERNANDEZ-J X-FileName: jhernan.nsf ---------------------- Forwarded by Angela Barnett/HOU/ECT on 12/15/2000 03:34 PM --------------------------- Deb Pepple on 12/15/2000 02:30:45 PM To: Angie Barnett , Karla Funnell , Laurie Lauer , Traci Rininger , Jan Secor , , , , , Faith UM Church cc: Subject: Fwd: [The Meaning Behind The Twelve Days Of Christmas] ____________________________________________________________________ Get your own FREE, personal Netscape WebMail account today at http://home.netscape.com/webmail Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Received: from rly-na05.mx.aol.com [205.188.158.42] by mx06 via mtad (34FM1.5.01) with ESMTP id 931eLNBBw0679M06; Thu, 14 Dec 2000 01:01:23 GMT Received: from galaxyinternet.net (www.galaxyinternet.net [216.37.20.58]) by rly-na05.mx.aol.com (v77.27) with ESMTP; Wed, 13 Dec 2000 20:01:11 -0500 Received: from Noell ([32.101.11.226]) by galaxyinternet.net with Microsoft SMTPSVC(5.5.1877.117.11); Wed, 13 Dec 2000 19:26:56 -0500 Message-ID: <003d01c06565$2ad861a0$e20b6520@Noell> From: "Noell" To: "John Gore" , "Chelli Allen" , "Cherie Fish" , "Christine Whitaker" , "Deb Pepple" , "John & Linda Clark" , "fmf_1" , "Joseph Gaunder" , "Kathy Spaugh" , "Linda Edgerton" , "Marie Roose" , "Julianna Bender" , "Sandy Farrell" Cc: "Randy Rentz" , "Stephen Rupchock" , "Toni Wise" Subject: The Meaning Behind The Twelve Days Of Christmas Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 19:24:53 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Subject: Christmas Carol There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come our of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? Here is one explanation: From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember. The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love. The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation. Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy. The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,Gentleness, and Self Control. The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments. The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples. The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed. So there is your history for today, although I can't vouch for its accuracy, but I found it an interesting possibility