Hi,

I'm afraid that this has been long dismissed as an urban legend. See:

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/12days.asp

Although the explanation might not be real, I liked how the "author" linked religious meanings to the numbers. And I like to believe the explanation is real myself. At least, every time I hear this song, I'm always reminded of the attached meanings. :D

I'm not a big fan of Snopes -- after all, who started that site? And what TRUE things will be debunked next to 99% lies?  It's dangerous to get used to trusting Snopes like the Gospels or the Catholic Church. "Snopes has spoken. The matter is finished."

Well, even Snopes itself warns its visitors not to rely solely on the site for information.

http://www.snopes.com/lost/false.htm

Instead, it asks its users to check their information against as many sources as possible. It may not be 100% accurate, but it does cite references in its articles, so that's a good head start if one wants to do his own checking. Personally, I use the site as a first stop whenever I encounter a dubious forwarded email. And I find the site entertaining to browse as well -- but maybe that's just me; I love trivia.

But we're getting off-topic now! As I have said, I've always liked this song, and don't really mind if one puts religious significance behind it. Who knows, that might have been the author's intention all along. :P