what is twelve days of christmas

The twelve days of Christmas is a traditional holiday carol that was first published in 1780. It tells the story of a man who receives twelve gifts from his true love, one for each day of Christmas. The gifts are as follows: 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.