Christmas Day 5

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me … five golden rings.

This is my favorite verse in the carol, the Twelve Days of Christmas. I like the musical respite it provides between the long “later days” and the short “earlier days” of the counting sequence. I guess by the time I hit this part of the tune, I need a breath.

So, what do the five rings symbolize? Traditionally, theologically, they refer to the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Commonly accepted as having been written by Moses, these tomes cover such topics as the creation of the world, the creation of man (and woman), the fall of man, Noah and his ark, the faithfulness of Abraham, the life of Isaac, the exploits of Jacob, the establishment of the ancient nation of Israel, the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, the institution of the Passover, the wilderness wanderings of the ancient Israelites, the death of Moses, and the entrance of the ancient Israelites into the Promised Land. Not light reading by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely worth the effort.

So, what else could these lovely rings represent? I have been using the explanations from Brownielocks.com to illuminate some of the more common, non-religious meanings of the carol symbols. Here is what they have to say about the golden circles:

If you’re a jewelry fan, you’re going to be disappointed to learn that it’s not actually golden rings that are given on day [five]. Once again, this is [a] reference to birds (do you see a pattern here?) and the [five] golden rings are said to represent the gold rings on a pheasant’s neck. Why the pheasant?

It all begins with the legend of Jason and the Argonauts back in 750 B.C. when they sailed from Thessaly, Greece in search of the “Golden Fleece.” During this epic journey, they landed in Phalis, acquiring not only the sorceress, Medea, but also a lot of golden birds. The Greek word phasianornis means “bird of Phasis.” It is believed that this species of ring-necked pheasant [is] from the sub-species of the infamous “Golden Fleece.” Soon, eating pheasant was only for the very rich and royal, often becoming the high-point of the feast. Many times, it was customary to swear an oath upon it before eating.

I have never eaten pheasant, so I couldn’t say if it is a meal fit for a king. Next year, my daughter plans to cook goose for Christmas, so I will someday be able to relate my feelings about that culinary wonder. Until then, I must confess my ignorance of exotic game bird as entrée.

Major happening of the day: receipt of my newly purchased Christmas dishes from SmartBargains.com. The American Atelier hand-painted ornament dessert plates arrived in beautiful condition and are just as gorgeous in person as they were in the online photograph. The Julen breakfast service for eight, on the other hand, didn’t fare so well. Out of a full complement of mugs, plates, and bowls, only a few pieces made it intact, the equivalent of only two place settings. The rest were broken and barely recognizable as dishes. Fortunately, the company is replacing everything.

Other activities for the day:
- purchased Christmas storage boxes
- called friends in Virginia and Florida
- called Mom in Minnesota
- ordered floral arrangement for Sunday (12/31) altar flowers
- encouraged King Richard III to complete medical history paperwork
- ordered new cookie gun from Amazon.com
- ordered The Autobiography of Santa Claus from Amazon.com
- ordered Beethoven Early String Quartets from Amazon.com (for school)

A very low-key day by any measure. I hope you and yours had a relaxing time as well. Tomorrow is the halfway point of the holiday, so enjoy it while you can. The daily grind is coming soon.

Photo of Five Golden Rings Christmas ornament by artist P. Buckley Moss was taken from the website of the Finn Gallery in St. Petersburg, FL.