On The 10th Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

10 Lords A-Leaping

These dancers were most likely Morris dancers who performed leaping dances between courses at feasts.  It is a form of ancient folk dancing & the dancers wore all sorts of bells on their tights and were very lively jumping all over the place then tried to get those 9 ladies to dance with them.  Not really.

The biblical association for this verse is easy; the 10 Commandments.

Your devotion for the 10th day of Christmas is right here!

On The 9th Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

9 Ladies Dancing

Attributed to the 9 Fruits of the Spirit.  Do you know what they are?  In Galatians 5:22 & 23 we are taught that they are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Here is your devotional today for the 9th Day of Christmas!

On The 8th Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

8 maids a-milking

milk maid braids

The phrase "As smooth as a milk maid's skin" means exceptionally smooth.  According to Wikipedia, "This phrase came about as a result of exposure to cowpox, which causes no serious symptoms, but does convey a partial immunity to the disfiguring (and often fatal) disease smallpox. Thus, milkmaids lacked the "pockmarked" complexion common to smallpox survivors. This observation led to the development of the first vaccine."

California Milk Maids

And for our purpose today, the lyric is linked to the 8 beatitudes as taught in the sermon on the mount.

Now that you have some milk maid trivia embedded in the folds of your brain, meditate on this devotional for the 8th day of Christmas!

On The 7th Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

 7 swans a-swimming

I wonder if these were black or white.  I choose white.  A black swan feels so, well, dark (I crack myself up).  Actually, there's an excellent book titled "The Black Swan" .  You should read it.  No, it has nothing to do with the movie starring Natalie Portman.

It's also a recipe; a take on the Floating Island meringue dessert.  Okay, I think I'm getting off track here.

The nicest interpretation, other than back in the 16th century the only things those ladies wanted was livestock and food for Christmas, is that they could stand for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Now for your devotional for the 7th Day of Christmas!

On The 6th Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

6 geese a-laying
This lover certainly wanted to make sure his sweetheart had plenty to eat! 

A nicer thought on this verse is that the 6 geese stand for the 6 days of creation.

Here's your devotional for the 6th day of Christmas!

On The 5th Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

5 gold rings

Well, what more can we say about 5 gold rings?  I'd take them wouldn't you??  I might get rid of some of those fowl but the rings are definitely keepers.

A connection to the Olympics?  Probably not.  They could also refer to the first 5 books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch".  Some think 'rings' refer to the ringed pheasant.

Take your pick, then read your devotional for the 5th day of Christmas!

On The 4th Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

 4 Calling Birds

What in the world is a calling bird?  Through the wonderful world wide web I discovered that the ‘calling birds’ in the song is a variation of the word ‘colly’ or ‘collie bird'. The definition of ‘colly’ is ‘black’ and came from the old word for coal. So simply put, a ‘calling bird’ is a blackbird.  Maybe they baked them in a pie?  Oh, that's from a nursery rhyme; never mind.

Mine, in the picture above, are prettier in red don't you think?

We also like to think of them as representing the 4 gospels.

Get your devotion for the 4th day of Christmas here!

On The 3rd Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me

3 French Hens

Maybe there were one of each; the Crevecoeur, Houdans and the La Fleche. The fact that the lyrics referr to a French variety of chicken might tip the scales toward the possibility of the song originating in France;  or the words 'French Hens' may have just sounded good.

Either way, here is your devotion for the 3rd day of Christmas!

On The 2nd Day of Christmas...

my true love sent to me,

2 Turtle Doves

Turtle Doves have been associated with love and faithfulness.  Mated pairs stay together over many years, and possibly for life.  Scripturally they represent a picture of devotion and loving kindness.

I like the story attributed to Turtle Doves depicted in the movie "Home Alone 2".   If you recall from that movie, Mr. Duncan (the owner of the toy store) gave Kevin a pair; one to keep and one to give a special person.  Mr. Duncan told Kevin "as long as each of you has your Turtle Dove, you'll be friends forever".  Kevin gave one of his pair to the “pigeon lady” who came to his rescue in Central Park.  It was a symbol of the bond they'd shared that Christmas, and that they would always be friends.

Sweet part of the movie.

Here is today's devotion for the 2nd Day of Christmas!!