what is the 12 days of christmas meaning

The "12 Days of Christmas" is a traditional Christmas carol that is based on an ancient English folk song. It tells the story of a young lover giving gifts to his true love over the course of 12 days, beginning on Christmas day. The gifts include a partridge in a pear tree, two turtle doves, three French hens, four calling birds, five golden rings, six geese a-laying, seven swans a-swimming, eight maids a-milking, nine ladies dancing, ten lords a-leaping, eleven pipers piping, and twelve drummers drumming. The carol