The Seventh Day of Christmas

The Seventh Day of Christmas

Reading:

“So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work…done in creation.” [1]

Reflection:

The seventh day of creation symbolizes a day of rest from one’s labors, as opposed to a day of completion. The cycles of creation, life, and work are just that: cycles. Regular times of rest are necessary for renewing our ability to work, not to escape from or end it. The gift of the seventh day in the song is seven-swans-a-swimming, which represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit from Isaiah 11:2-3: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. Swans are symbols of grace and ease, reflecting the transformative impact of the Spirit’s gifts when incorporated into one’s life.

            The number seven is important in Islam in the seven heavens, circling the Kaaba seven times, and the seven verses in the Quran’s first chapter. Seven also represents a complete world – having what it needs to perpetuate itself – because of the seven-day cycle of creation. There are seven days in a week, seven wonders of the world, and seven continents. A sense of separation or division is contained in the imagery of seven, as in the separation of one week or phase from another. It is a recurrent number in the Bible, particularly in the Revelation of John. In mathematics, seven is said to have peculiar and mysterious qualities. In music, there are seven distinct notes in the diatonic scale.

            In considering the twelve days of Christmas as a journey towards spiritual maturity, each number symbolizes various aspects of that experience that all beings throughout history share in common. Seven, and what it symbolizes, begins the second half of that journey since the 12 days of Christmas can be divided into two halves of 6 each – days 1-6 and days 7-12. The seventh day of Christmas is a liminal or transitional space since every ending contains within it the beginning of whatever is next.   

Closing Meditation:

Reflect on your seventh day of Christmas as a time of transition. What is changing in your life now?

Journal the thoughts and feelings that arise.

This daily series, Contemplative Christmas, is replacing my weekly Life Notes until January 6, 2026, when my weekly blog will resume. The thoughts expressed here are mine. To engage with me: ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] Genesis 2:3