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This is the Conversation Forum for The Twelve Days of Christmas << intercepted correspondence... The film "The Rock" >> Subject: ... and the total is Posted Nov 20, 1999 by Jan^   Posting 1 For sad people everywhere, and because I had nothing better to do, the total accumulation of unwanted gifts at the end of the Twelve Days is : 12 partridges 12 pear trees 22 turtle doves 30 French hens 36 calling birds 40 gold rings 42 geese an unspecified number of goose eggs 42 swans a lot of water 40 maids (assuming you have kept the Lords away from them, so they are still maiden) one assumes, 40 associated cows more gallons of sour milk than it is pleasant to contemplate 36 very tired Ladies 30 even tireder Lords 22 breathless pipers 12 drummers - still drumming - SHUT UP WILL YOU! A grand total of 416 presents (including the cows, but not the eggs, milk or water). I bet you were dying to know that.... Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: ... and the total is Posted Nov 21, 1999 by Lupa Mirabilis, Serious Inquisitor This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 2 We had an extra credit problem on a calculus test last year in which we were supposed to compute the total number of gifts over the twelve days, and then the total number after a year of the same procedure; being the nerd that I am (or perhaps it's more a consequence of laziness), I actually wrote a calculator program to compute this figure for any number of days, and I've still got it. Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: ... and the total is Posted Nov 22, 1999 by Jan^ This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 3 So what's the answer? Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: ... and the total is Posted Nov 23, 1999 by Cheerful Dragon This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 4 If you just add the basic presents (i.e. a partridge in a pear tree = 1, a maid and her cow = 1) you get 364, one less than the number of days in a non-leap year. I suppose this had some significance in the days when the carol was written. Maybe the missing day was Christmas Day. Read the First Reply to this Posting Subject: ... and the total is Posted Nov 23, 1999 by Lupa Mirabilis, Serious Inquisitor This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 5 I think it's probably coincidence. Subject: ... and the total is Posted Nov 23, 1999 by Lupa Mirabilis, Serious Inquisitor This is a reply to this Posting   Posting 6 For how many days? Conversation list Most of the content on h2g2 is created by h2g2's Researchers, who are members of the public. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not those of the BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of any external sites referenced. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click on the relevant button to alert our Moderation Team. Conversation list

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