“The
Twelve Days of Christmas” is a well known holiday carol, whose familiar verses
and repetitions seem to conjure an extended, jolly English holiday party. Yet
some scholars think the lyrics hold deeper symbolic meaning and tell a coded
story. Dr. Thomas Bernard will lead us on an exploration of the
meaning behind the two turtledoves, the lords a-leaping, and all their
friends. Please join us in the Woodbury Room of the Jones Library at
2:30 pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012.
Dr.
Thomas Bernard is a professor emeritus of psychology at Springfield
College. Having become intrigued by the lyrics of the carol, he
began to research the words, their meanings, and the evolution of the song from
its earliest manuscript. He is the author of a book on this project,
“The Twelve Days of Christmas: the Mystery and the Meaning,” published by
University Press Division of St. Charles Place.
Free and
open to the public. For more information, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.