“On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Seven swans a-swimming.” Pope Sylvester I is celebrated on this day as he saw in the beginning of the Christian Roman Empire. The seven swans are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are, according to Catholic Tradition, wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of God. Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

The “Seventh day of Christmas” lands on the final day of the Gregorian calendar year. The number seven is commonly believed to represent completion and marks a day of rest within many narratives. In most countries around the world, this day is now celebrated as New Year’s Eve. Swans themselves also have a spiritual meaning since they are thought to symbolize purity and Chasity.