The 12 Days of Christmas in Chinese!
The “12 Days of Christmas” is a popular Christmas carol with roots in both Christian and folkloric traditions. Its story is a combination of religious symbolism, secret codes, and historical practices.
The song is believed to have originated in the late 16th century, during a time when the Catholic Church in England was under threat, and Protestants were in power. As a result, Catholics were not allowed to openly practice their faith, and some historians believe the song was created as a way for Catholics to teach their children the tenets of their faith in a coded manner. Each of the gifts in the song is thought to represent an element of Christianity.
We translated the song into Mandarin Chinese. Here’s an overview of its origins and its translation:
THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN CHINESE!
On the 12th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:
圣诞节的第十二天，亲爱的送给我：
Shèngdàn jié de dì shí’èr tiān, qīn’ài de sòng gěi wǒ:
12 Drummers Drumming
十二个打鼓的鼓手
shíèr gè dǎgǔ de gǔshǒu
11 Pipers Piping
十一个吹风笛的风笛手
shíyī gè chuī fēngdí de fēngdíshǒu
10 Lords-a-Leaping
十个跳跃的贵族
shí gè tiàoyuè de guìzú
9 Ladies Dancing
九位跳舞的淑女
jiǔ wèi tiàowǔ de shūnǚ
8 Maids-a-Milking
八位挤奶的女仆
bā wèi jǐnǎi de nǚpú
7 Swans-a-Swimming
七只滑水的天鹅
qī zhī yóushuǐ de tiāné
6 Geese-a-Laying
六只生蛋的白鹅
liù zhī shēngdàn de bái é
5 Gold Rings
五只金戒指
wǔ zhī jīn jièzhǐ
4 Calling Birds
四只鸣唱的鸟儿
sì zhī míngchàng de niǎoér
3 French Hens
三只法国母鸡
sān zhī Fǎguó mǔjī
2 Turtle Doves
两只斑鸠
liǎng zhī bānjiū
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree
一只梨树上的鹧鸪鸟
yì zhī líshù shàng de zhègūniǎo
On the 12th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:
圣诞节的第十二天，亲爱的送给我：
Shèngdàn jié de dì shí’èr tiān, qīn’ài de sòng gěi wǒ:
12 Drummers Drumming
十二个打鼓的鼓手
shíèr gè dǎgǔ de gǔshǒu
The 12 drummer may represent the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed.
12 Days of Christmas in Chinese
11 Pipers Piping
十一个吹风笛的风笛手
shíyī gè chuī fēngdí de fēngdíshǒu
They symbolize the eleven faithful apostles.
12 Days of Christmas in Chinese
10 Lords-a-Leaping
十个跳跃的贵族
shí gè tiàoyuè de guìzú
They can represent the Ten Commandments.
12 Days of Christmas in Chinese
9 Ladies Dancing
九位跳舞的淑女
jiǔ wèi tiàowǔ de shūnǚ
The ladies may represent the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
12 Days of Christmas in Chinese
8 Maids-a-Milking
八位挤奶的女仆
bā wèi jǐnǎi de nǚpú
They symbolize the eight Beatitudes.
12 Days of Christmas in Chinese
7 Swans-a-Swimming
七只滑水的天鹅
qī zhī yóushuǐ de tiāné
They can represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
12 Days of Christmas in Chinese
6 Geese-a-Laying
六只生蛋的白鹅
liù zhī shēngdàn de bái é
They may represent the six days of Creation.
12 Days of Christmas in Chinese
5 Gold Rings
五只金戒指
wǔ zhī jīn jièzhǐ
The rings can symbolize the first five books of the Old Testament, also known as the Pentateuch.
12 Days of Christmas in Chinese
4 Calling Birds
四只鸣唱的鸟儿
sì zhī míngchàng de niǎoér
The four birds may represent the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
12 Days of Christmas in Chinese
3 French Hens
三只法国母鸡
sān zhī Fǎguó mǔjī
They may represent Faith, Hope, and Charity as the theological virtues.
12 Days of Christmas in Chinese
2 Turtle Doves
两只斑鸠
liǎng zhī bānjiū
They may symbolize the Old and New Testaments.
12 Days of Christmas in Chinese
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree!
一只梨树上的鹧鸪鸟
yì zhī líshù shàng de zhègūniǎo
The partridge was often associated with the idea of a sacrificial bird in European tradition, so it may represents Jesus Christ.
While the song is most commonly associated with the English-speaking world, versions of it have appeared in other countries, such as France and the Netherlands, and it has been adapted and reinterpreted over time. In modern culture, the song is typically performed as a light-hearted and repetitive Christmas carol, often with humorous interpretations.
We also had a hilarious interpretation, which was created together with our CLUB Member kids during our December Doodle Date.
If you are interested in joining our next Doodle Date, please subscribe here! We are looking forward to creating a delightful environment for your kids to learn languages!
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