Happenings

Trivia

Partridges and Pear Trees

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a famous carol first published in England in 1780 (source). It lists gifts which the singer received from their true love on each of the titular Twelve Days, many of which are birds. The first gift is a partridge in a pear tree, which is at first glance a plausible (albeit difficult to wrap) present. However, a discerning caroler may remember that partridges are ground dwellers, preferring to set up house in snow, rocks, or under shrubs. Would a partridge be found in a pear tree?

In the U.S., probably not. Despite both partridges and pears being introduced to the U.S. in overlapping ranges, partridges spend most of their lives on the ground. They forage for seeds, and even prefer to run (reaching speeds of up to 20 mph) rather than fly when escaping predators (All About Birds, Bird Facts). The red-legged partridge from Europe, however, has been very occasionally spotted roosting in trees overnight (Sussex Wildlife Trust). Perhaps this gift needs to be imported—and stored in the dark.

So if it’s unlikely to find a partridge in a pear tree, why is it in the song? Some theorize that the song’s lyrics are Catholic code from a time when Catholic values were taboo in England. This theory holds that the partridge is Jesus, chosen for their shared value of self-sacrifice: a partridge will fake injuries to lure predators away from its nest, though this tactic is technically more diversionary than sacrificial. The pear tree is the cross, and my true love may be God himself (Lutheran Home Association). Another explanation is that in translation from the original French the word “perdrix” meaning “partridge” sounded like “pear tree”, and people got confused (Stoke Museum). Whatever the real origin, I won’t be expecting a partridge in a pear tree in my stocking this year.

— C. Roland