31 Days of Christmas/12 Days of Christmas Explained. Or is it?

The other day, I was going to start something new along with explaining what the 12 symbols or gifts meant in this song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'. However, for today, I am going to just stay on task with the latter, for as I got into doing more research, there is more to this song, than I had expected. And so here is what I have found so far.

There have been many versions of it. It was first known in a children's book in 1780 called, Mirth-Without Mischief. The first edition of the book was sold at an auction in 2014 for a whopping $23,750. However, it can be purchased on Amazon for upwards of $18 in digital form.

The song itself seems to have been first put to music in 1909 by an English composer by the name of Fredric Austin.

There is a theory that the gifts in the song were coded during a period in history when Catholics were persecuted, and so as to teach their children about their faith, they would sing this song as a reminder. The symbols or gifts meanings went like this:

Day 1 Partridge in a pear tree-Jesus Christ
Day 2 Two turtle doves-Old and New Testaments
Day 3 Three french hens-Faith, Hope and Charity
Day 4-Four colling (or calling) birds-The Four Gospels or Four Evangelists
Day 5-Five golden rings-Five Books of the Old Testaments that gives the history of man's fall from grace
Day 6-Six geese a-laying-The Six Days of Creation
Day 7-Seven Swans-a swimming-The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit or the Seven Sacraments
Day 8-Eight maids a-milking-The Eight Beatitudes
Day 9-Nine ladies dancing-The Nine Fruits of the Spirit
Day 10-Ten Lords a-leaping-The Ten Commandments
Day 11-Eleven Pippers Pipping-The Elven Faithful Disciples
Day12-Twelve Drummers Drumming-The Twelve Points of Doctrine in the Apostles Creed

Supposedly, these were the meaning of the gifts that are in the Christmas song. My questions were what do they have to to do with 12 feast days that were celebrated at that time if anything? (See     The 12 Days of Christmas -- Christmas Customs and Traditions -- whychristmas?com)  Is any of this really correct, or is this just a story written by someone many years ago and set to music at a later time. I have to tell you, Friends, I am not sure at this point. I am really just looking into it all. Maybe I will find out because at this point it seems confusing. At any rate, please come back tomorrow for some more interesting information about a Christmas Carol we sing every year, but perhaps never knew anything about. (Today's source: The 12 Days of Christmas, explained: the story behind the carol - Vox)

Todays Christmas Reading: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1
Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign, Behold, the virgin will conceive and shall bear a son and call his name Immanuel. Isahia 7:14
A voice cries out in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Isahia 40:3

Thanks for coming Friends. God bless you and yours today as you prepare for the celebration of the One that came to us sooo many years ago!