2 December 2020, 17:05 | Updated: 15 December 2021, 12:14 It comes up every Christmas, and every year you forget the words (bar ‘Five Gold Rings’, of course). Here’s a handy guide to ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, including its lyrics and meaning. ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ is a rootin’-tootin’, singalong Christmas carol that runs through the twelve days that make up the Christmas season – beginning on
Christmas Day and ending on 6 January, the day before Epiphany. Each day represents a new gift, starting with ‘a partridge in a pear tree’ and ending with ‘twelve drummers drumming’. It’s a traditional English tune dating back to the 1700s, which some historians actually believe to have French origins. The version we know best came from Frederic Austin, an English composer who set the lyrics and added some flourishes – including the drawn out “five go-old rings” – in 1909. The carol is a cumulative song, which means that each verse is built on top of the previous verses. Read more: The origins of the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ – lyrics, numbers and timings explained A partridge in a pear tree. Picture: GettyWhat are the lyrics to ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’?On the first day of Christmas On the second day of Christmas On the third day of Christmas On the fourth day of Christmas On the fifth day of Christmas On the sixth day of Christmas Read more: The 30 greatest Christmas carols of all time On the seventh day of Christmas On the eighth day of Christmas On the ninth day of Christmas On the tenth day of Christmas On the eleventh day of Christmas On the twelfth day of Christmas Listen to all the greatest festive music in one place, with our Classic FM Christmas playlist. |