Christmas Day 12

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me … twelve drummers drumming.

Well, the end is finally here. It is Twelfth Night, the last milestone of the Christmas season. At my house, that means debriefing. I started this activity a few years ago as a way to get “pre-organized” for next Christmas (you know, the one twelve months from now). I’m still not sure this procedure works for me, but it has served to clarify what my family values about Christmas, namely family time at home, early completion of shopping errands to avoid crowds, and lots and lots of music.

What debriefing has to do with the number twelve, I don’t know. I suppose just that it helps me focus on essentials. Theologically, that is what the Twelve Days of Christmas gives us as a final verse, the essential beliefs of the Christian faith, the twelve points of doctrine found in the Apostles Creed:

1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
2) I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.
5) On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
7) I believe in the Holy Spirit,
8) the holy catholic [universal] Church,
9) the communion of saints,
10) the forgiveness of sins,
11) the resurrection of the body,
12) and the life everlasting.

Historically, somehow, the number twelve is related to drumming, as illuminated for us by the author of Brownielocks.com:

In the early days of England, they had town watchmen, known as waits, that went around patrolling the streets and calling out the hours of the night. By the 18th century, [they] got a little more skilled and turned into town musicians. During Christmastime, these town musicians were nicely rewarded. They sang day and night, often serenading sleepers from midnight to dawn.

But, odd as this seems, Europe wasn’t really into drums. They actually first got introduced to them during the Crusades when they brought them back to Europe as their spoils from the Holy Land. These drums were basically Egyptian and Sumerian. Soon, the beat of a drum became associated with warfare. And, a symbol of marching into battle.

The drum also became associated with the trumpet, to announce the arrival of each course during banquets. A skilled musician could not only play the pipes, but also the tabor (a small drum). This was known as the whittle and dub.

Sad to say, I encountered no drums today. I did, however, encounter handbells at the final holiday concert of the Shoreline Ringers Community Handbell Choir. Personally, I think it was the best of the four they gave this season, not just because the ringers delivered an exceptional performance, but also because the audience was so interactive. At each concert, Jane Nolan, the director, asks the audience if they have any questions. Usually, she gets a few inquiries, but tonight the listeners in attendance wanted to know everything from “Do you have to read music to play handbells?” to “Is there a waiting list to join the choir?” These folks were also a lot of fun when it came to the music itself. When the ringers played “White Christmas” as their encore, the audience sang along. It was great!

The other positive ending to the 2006 Christmas season was the arrival of my replacement dishes (see Christmas Day 5). I had ordered a breakfast service for eight from SmartBargains.com, only to have it arrive as pottery shards a week later. The company fixed the problem, however. I now own a beautiful set of red, Scandinavian-style plates, bowls, and mugs, all washed up and stored for 2007. The only challenge will be remembering where I put them when next December rolls around.

I hope you have enjoyed this series of postings on the Twelve Days of Christmas. I have enjoyed writing them. I pray the season of Epiphany (and the rest of the year) treats you well and that the Lord richly blesses you and your family. God bless!

Photo of Twelve Drummers Drumming Christmas ornament by artist P. Buckley Moss was taken from the website of the Finn Gallery in St. Petersburg, FL.