• Need to know the lyrics to the "12 Days of Christmas," a classic Christmas carol that dates back to the 16th century? The song represents the 12 days between the birth of Jesus Christ and the coming of the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem.Snopes.com: The 12 Days of Christmas It's first known recording was by James O. Halliwell in 1842 and its first known reference in print was in Mirth Without Mischief in 1780. Brownielocks: History of The 12 Days of Christmas

• 1. Frederick Austin wrote the standard arrangement of the song
  2. First written in FrenchSnopes.com: The 12 Days of Christmas
  3. First printed: 1780
  4. First recorded: 1842

• Cost of Presents

  • 2007: $19,507USA Today: 12 Days of Christmas Cost
  • 2006: $18,920CNN.com: 12 Days of Christmas Cost
  • 2005: $18,348CNN.com: 12 Days of Christmas Cost
  • 1996: $13,196 CNN.com: 12 Days of Christmas Cost
  • 1995: $12,482 CNN.com: 12 Days of Christmas Cost

• Final Verse

  • On the twelfth day of Christmas,
  • my true love sent to me
  • Twelve drummers drumming,
  • Eleven pipers piping,
  • Ten lords a-leaping,
  • Nine ladies dancing,
  • Eight maids a-milking,
  • Seven swans a-swimming,
  • Six geese a-laying,
  • Five golden rings,
  • Four calling birds,
  • Three French hens,
  • Two turtle doves,
  • And a partridge in a pear tree.

• Popular Versions

  • Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck 12 Days of Christmas
  • The Muppets with John Denver Muppets 12 Days of Christmas

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