On the first day of Christmas my true love (God) gave to me
- a partridge in a pear tree (Jesus to be on the cross)
- two turtle doves (the 2 testaments of God - Old and New)
- three french hens (the 3 theological virtues - Faith, Hope, and Love)
- four calling birds (the 4 Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
- five golden rings (the 5 books of the Pentateuch - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy)
- six geese a-laying (the 6 days of creation)
- seven swans a-swimming (the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit - prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and compassion)
- eight maids a-milking (the 8 beatitudes)
- nine ladies dancing (the 9 fruits of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control)
- ten lords a-leaping (the 10 Commandments)
- eleven pipers piping (the 11 faithful disciples)
- twelve drummers drumming (the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed)
Now, lore is full of stories like this so it may or may not be true, but it is clever none-the-less, don't you think?