The 12 Days of Christmas

The 12 Days of Christmas

Carol, England (U.K.)

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” was first published in 1780 in a children’s book printed in England.

Though this popular carol is generally considered to be an English song, there is evidence that it could actually be French in origin.

Table of Contents

Sing-Along Video with Lyrics

The 12 Days of Christmas | Christm...
The 12 Days of Christmas | Christmas Sing-Along with Lyrics

Lyrics

1. On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

2. On the second day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

3. On the third day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

4. On the fourth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

5. On the fifth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

6. On the sixth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

7. On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

8. On the eighth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

9. On the ninth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

1o. On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

11. On the eleventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Eleven Pipers Piping
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

12. On the twelfth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
Twelve Drummers Drumming
Eleven Pipers Piping
Ten Lords a Leaping
Nine Ladies Dancing
Eight Maids a Milking
Seven Swans a Swimming
Six Geese a Laying
Five Golden Rings
Four Calling Birds
Three French Hens
Two Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Click on the button to watch a karaoke video and
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Free Printable 12-page PDF

Planning to sing this song in class? This 12-page PDF of the 12 Days of Christmas has all the lyrics your students need, so print and put them up on the wall for everyone to see.

Free karaoke MP3 download

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“The 12 Days of Christmas” (instrumental, 3:36 – 4/4 – 130 bpm)

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Sing-Along Song

To listen to this Christmas song with vocals and learn how to sing it, click on the following player. You can also license this vocal version for commercial purposes.

Commercial License for The 12 Days of Christmas (song)

Purchase a license that permits the commercial use of this track. You can license this track for:

YouTube license

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Insta/FB License

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Other commercial licenses

Other License

Not sure which license is best for you?

Read our licensing page or contact us!

Singing Christmas with our Kids, Vol.1

Singing Christmas with Our Kids Volume 1 Cover

Christmas is a time to rejoice, and singing certainly does bring that. This is your chance to teach your children some all-time favorite carols and sing them along yourself, too.

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Sheet Music

Click on the button to watch a piano tutorial video and download a PDF file with music score of this song for free.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Sheet Music

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Song History

The source of the song in and of itself is actually a game in which contestants are challenged with remembering each subsequent, cumulative verse, thus giving “Twelve Days of Christmas” its unique sound. The lyrics are associated with what is generally perceived as the 12 days of the Christmas season, starting on 25 December (Christmas Day) and ending on 5 January.

Throughout the centuries, the sound of the song has changed, with the tune we are familiar with now being composed in 1909 by an Englishman. There also exist other variations of the song in different countries.

The conspiracy theory around “Twelve Days of Christmas” is that it was created to secretly indoctrinate English Catholics on the basic tenets of their faith during a time, spanning from 1559 (the Act of Uniformity) to 1829 (the Catholic Emancipation Act) when it was illegal to practice Catholicism in public. However, based on scholarly research, this theory has been debunked.

A surface interpretation of the song’s lyrics, despite the fact that they have changed over time, seem to center around Christmastime dancing, mirth and gift giving, which is more consistent with a children’s game and the practice of Christmas in general. Thus the song is generally considered to be secular, not religious, in nature.

The-12-Days-of-Christmas---Singing-Bell
The 12 Days of Christmas

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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. paschal

    O my gosh…it’s pretty nice…you should’ve uploaded the voice note so that learners can equally learn and be nice..

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