Department 56 Twelves Days of Dickens Village III Three French Hens 58378

Is believed that 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' was probably first recited or sung by wandering troubadours in Medieval times... but the first 'penned' reference to this familiar English carol does not appear until the eighteenth century. And, like so many of our favorite holiday traditions, the original custom and meanings of this song have changed or have been lost with the passing of time.

'The Twelve Days of Christmas' originated from a memory game usually played on the Twelfth Night, the last night between Christmas and Epiphany... and because of this custom, the song title emerged. It became fashionable to play this parlor game with each player recalling and singing a list of items named by the preceding player and then adding another verse. A poor memory resulted in the loss of the game.

The best-known line, ... And a partridge in a pear tree,' is thought to have originated from an old belief that a girl who walked backwards toward a pear tree on Christmas Eve, then walked around it three times would be rewarded by seeing an image of her true love. The origin or meaning of many of the other lines have been lost, leaving us with only the song's lyrics.

While 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' reached the height of its popularity during Dickensian times, it still remains a traditional holiday classic carol today.

Three French Hens from Department 56.

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