1st Day of Christmas

This is a series of 12 stories leading up to Christmas, taken from the infamous Christmas song, 12 Days of Christmas. Be sure to follow them every day leading up to Christmas.

ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME, a partridge in a pear tree. Thus starts a series of gifts that not only stink, but ultimately compile the longest song in Christmas history. In fact, anyone who knows the song knows that it contains six days dedicated solely to the bird. That is 23 birds. Now anybody who has had a bird as a pet knows that having a bird is the worst. They gawk, squawk, and poop us into a near suicidal state. That's why people have cats, to get rid of the birds. Dogs get rid of the cats. Owners beat the dogs for being stupid. The cycle continues.

The partridge on a pear tree is usually considered a symbol in this song. Some liken it to the story of Christ (the bird) hanging upon a tree (the pear tree). However, I'm not entirely certain Jesus like pears. I know he didn't like figs as seen in Matthew 21:18-22. I simply assume that he didn't like fruits in general, but that's a debate for another day. Others think that the symbolism was Catholics trying to teach the children a moral lesson through the use

of symbolism, but this is mostly a Protestant holiday, so I rule this out. Sure the Catholics had their share in contributing to the holy holiday, but we Protestants gave Santa a hat, reindeer, and a sled and the rest, they say, is history. Some whack-o's in the world might even think the symbolism has to do with the infamous Partridge Family, a popular family pop band who traveled the US in a colorful van during the 1970's. I'm not sure what Danny Bonaduce has to do with Christmas but I like this theory. It's very American.

In all purposes of writing this, here is my translation of the first day. Whoever is giving these gifts is the worst. I like pears, I'm not too fond of the bird, but at any rate I hardly consider a small tree a gift I want under my Christmas tree. In all good spirits, I think it has to do with how we act when we get those terrible gifts. You know when you get socks from someone, you give them that look that shouts, "Did you keep the receipt?" But it isn't in the gift we find our joy. It is in the giving. It is in the spirit of giving. So here's to the first day of Christmas- love to give.

KB