How do ‘Ships’ tie into the Nativity Christmas Story? Why 12 days of Christmas?
- larees24
- Dec 25, 2025
- 4 min read
🎄 Welcome, to ‘Christmas around the Piano’…a nostalgic musical journey!🎄
Day 24 - December 24, 2025:
“I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)” is one of England’s most beloved traditional Christmas carols. Its history is surprisingly tangled, whimsical, and full of folklore.
The earliest printed version dates back to the 1600s, possibly from Derbyshire. It was widely known under an older title: “As I Sat On a Sunny Bank”. The modern version we sing today was published by antiquarian William Sandys, who preserved many English carols, in his 1833 collection Christmastide: Its History, Festivities and Carols.
The carol was especially popular in Cornwall, a region rich in maritime culture and folk traditions. Folk collectors note that the melody and lyrics varied widely across regions, as minstrels and travelers adapted it over centuries. Maritime imagery connected with seafaring communities, made this carol relatable and popular.
Its cheerful melody, with its simple and repetitive verses' structure, makes it catchy, easy to sing in groups, and therefore accessible to the masses, reinforcing communal joy during Christmas.
Its rich symbolism, with multiple layers of meaning, hides relic traditions, heraldic symbolism, and medieval metaphors, which has allowed it to resonate across cultures and centuries.
Bethlehem is landlocked, so the idea of ships sailing in on Christmas morning makes no literal sense. That’s why historians propose several theories. The most widely accepted theory is that in the 12th century, relics believed to belong to the Three Wise Men were transported to Cologne Cathedral by ship. Medieval Europeans loved relic stories, so this may have inspired the imagery.
Medieval poetry often called camels “ships of the desert,” so the “three ships” may actually be three camels carrying the Magi.
King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia bore a coat of arms featuring three ships. Some scholars think the carol may reference this symbol.
Many English carols mix biblical themes with local imagery. Ships were a familiar sight in coastal towns, so the idea of holy visitors arriving by sea felt natural to singers, and made this imagery relatable, thereby promoting the carol’s popularity.
The familiar nine‑verse modern version comes from Sandys’ 1833 publication. Its cheerful, repetitive structure made it perfect for wassailing, dancing, and communal singing.
Quick Facts!
⛵The carol has American connections too: early settlers brought it to Appalachia, where unique versions survived.
⛵Some versions include Mary and Jesus on the ships, even though the Bible never mentions such a journey.
⛵In some regions, the carol was sung as part of New Year’s visiting traditions, not Christmas.
From Partridges to Pipers — “The Twelve Days of Christmas” & the symbolism behind each gift!
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” originally refers not to the song, but to the Christian liturgical season, stretching from December 25 to January 5, ending the night before Epiphany. These days commemorate the Nativity through to the revelation of Christ to the Magi.
It is an English cumulative carol, first appearing in print in the late 1700s. Its structure resembles a memory‑and‑forfeit game, popular in medieval and early modern Europe.
A widely circulated theory suggests the song served as a secret catechism for English Catholics during the period (1558–1829) when they were forbidden from practicing openly.
According to this interpretation: “My True Love” = Jesus Christ. Each gift symbolizes a Christian teaching (e.g. 2 turtle doves = Old & New Testaments; 3 French hens = theological virtues)
While historians debate the accuracy of this claim, it remains a beloved part of the song’s folklore.
The Twelve Days became prominent when the early Church moved the Nativity celebration from January 6 to December 25, creating a festive period between Christmas and Epiphany.
This season historically included Feasts, Gift‑giving, Wassailing, Pageants, Twelfth Night celebrations. It was a time of joy, revelry, and reflection on the Incarnation.
Quick Facts!
🎁 The song is cumulative, meaning each verse builds on the previous one — a style used in children’s memory games.
🎁 “Five gold rings” originally referred to ring‑necked birds, not jewelry — making the first seven gifts all birds.
🎁 The earliest known printed version appears in Mirth Without Mischief (1780).
🎁 The melody we know today was standardized by Frederic Austin in 1909, who also added the famous drawn‑out “five gooold rings.”
🎁 The carol has inspired countless parodies, from Sesame Street to John Denver & The Muppets.
🎁 In medieval England, Twelfth Night was more important than Christmas Day — the season built toward Epiphany, not away from Christmas.
I do hope you have enjoyed reading about these carols, as much as I have enjoyed presenting this to you.
Thank you for joining me on this festive journey! Wishing you and your loved ones, a season filled with light, laughter, love, and of course, MUSIC! 🌟🎄
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Christmas cheer and good tidings to you!
Larissa
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