what does the twelve days of christmas mean

The twelve days of Christmas is a traditional English Christmas carol that dates back to the 16th century. The song is an example of a cumulative song, where each verse adds something new until the final verse has all the elements of the song included. The song tells the story of a gift-giving holiday, where each day of the twelve days of Christmas, a new gift is received. The gifts mentioned in the song are often interpreted as symbols of the birth of Jesus Christ, with the last verse usually understood to represent the coming of the twelve apostles.