By the time most of y’all get this paper, you will be just about finished celebrating Christmas, and hopefully you have most of the mess cleaned up also. My family will be with me on Saturday the 27th. My youngest granddaughter and her three boys spent part of the weekend with me this past week. We made some cookies; and they decorated them using the cookie paint that I told you about a couple of weeks ago. Their dinosaurs were really cute and different!
This week, my thought was to give you something a little different, so instead of a bunch of recipes, I’m going to give you the story of the Partridge in a Pear Tree. Most of you have probably already heard of it, but when someone sent it to me last year, I hadn’t heard it before.
1. The partridge in a pear tree if Jesus Christ.
2. The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.
3. Three French hens stand for Faith, Hope, and Love.
4. The four calling birds are the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
5. The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of The Old Testament.
6. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.
8. The eight maids a-milking are the eight beatitudes.
9. The nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.
10. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
11. Eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples.
12. The twelve drummers drumming symbolizes the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.
So, there is your history lesson for today.
And now, I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a very Healthy, Happy New Year!