Twelve Days
The Twelve Days of Christmas to most of us, the list of strange gifts repeated in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” is just a child’s nonsense song, while to others it suggests a mystery woven into folklore. From 1558-1829 English Catholics were not allowed by law to practice their faith either publicly or privately. It is thought that
it could have been written as a catechism song to help children memorize the tenets of their faith. The “true love” is not that of an earthly lover but God Himself. The “me” refers to every baptized Catholic.
On the First Day of Christmas my true love gave to me
a partridge in a pear tree.
“First
Day”
11"x14" 2002
Egg tempera, gold, silver and copper leaf on handmade paper
The partridge in the pear tree is Jesus Christ on the cross. He is represented as the mother partridge, feigning injury, to serve as a decoy from threatening predators.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.”
Matthew 23:37
“Second
Day”
11"x14" 2002
Egg tempera, gold, silver and copper leaf on handmade paper