Christmas carols Archives - View from the Front Porch

12 12, 2022

Christmas Carols – The Holly and the Ivy

By judythemorgan|2022-12-11T08:08:12-06:00December 12th, 2022|Uncategorized|1 Comment

Christmas tunes are everywhere this time of year. One of our family traditions is to gather around the piano and sing holiday songs. I love sharing the origins of the songs we sing.

“The Holly and the Ivy” is one that’s not heard much, though it dates to medieval times. It has an interesting history and staunchly Christian words set to a haunting melody.

There are five verses of the carol. You can read all the words here. I’m sure you’ve heard it. This is the first verse with the refrain to refresh your memory.

The holly and the ivy

When they are both full grown

Of all the trees that are in the wood

The holly bears the crown

Refrain:

The rising of the sun

And the running of the deer

The playing of the merry organ

Sweet singing in the choir

The history behind the carol: Holly and ivy were gathered along with mistletoe and other evergreens to decorate churches, houses, and streets at Christmas as early as the 16th century and probably before. Their shiny green leaves brim with life throughout the winter when most other plants and trees are leafless making them perfect for decking the halls for the holiday.

It may be a relic of pagan midwinter celebrations with the evergreens symbolizing rebirth, the return of the light, and the greening of the landscape in spring. Holly with berries and mistletoe are still used as Christmas decorations.

The words appear in the early 18th century Broadsides printed lyrics, but not the tune. Most likely because different melodies, with local modifications, passed between generations as part of the oral tradition.

One of several carols from medieval England, “The Holly and the Ivy” tells of the rivalry between holly and ivy for mastery of the forest. The holly “bears the crown” so wins the contest; perhaps that’s why we hear no more about the ivy.

Holly was seen as a masculine symbol because of its stouter prickly leaves and ivy is a feminine symbol with its softer leaves. The carol may, therefore, hold a gentle reference to the difficulties of relationships between men and women. The seasonal Christian message is clear in how the song’s words tell the story of Christ’s life interwoven with the life of the holly tree.

Verse 2: “The holly bears a blossom as white as the lily flower” refers to the white flowers Holly produces in late spring. The white signifies the purity of Mary and Jesus.

Verse 3: “The holly bears a berry as red as any blood” refers to Christ’s blood.

Verse 4: “The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn” refers to the crown of thorns.

Verse 5: “The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall” is another reference to the crucifixion.

The most popular version was first published in 1911. Folksingers popularize the carol in the fifties and sixties. It continues to be a much-loved, traditional Christmas carol immersed with Christian and pre-Christian symbolism.

Enjoy this version by folksinger Judy Collins.

11 12, 2017

Christmas Music – the Customs and Traditions

By judythemorgan|2017-12-03T07:05:52-06:00December 11th, 2017|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

Christian tradition and the liturgical Church calendar recognize the Christmas season from sundown on December 24 (Christmas Eve) through Epiphany of the Lord (January 6). Most of us celebrated the single day, December 25.

Songs of the season are a different story. Christmas music runs non-stop through store speakers beginning after Halloween. Satellite stations and cable networks devote channels to holiday-themed music and shows beginning at Thanksgiving.

For some that’s a good thing. For others, it’s too much. Personally, I’d prefer some Christmas carols and contemporary Christmas songs throughout the year instead of the over saturation.

There was a time before the fourth century when there were no Birth-of-Christ hymns. A songbook with carols only appeared after Christmas was formalized as a feast and fixed to Dec. 25.

In the 13^th century, St. Francis of Assisi organized nativity pageants featuring real hay, real animals, and, for the first time, real narrative songs. Christmas singing took on a life of its own, beyond the constraints of the sacred feast. Even drinking songs (much to the church’s horror) contained Yuletide lyrics.

Christmas celebrations and caroling died with the Puritan movement when Cromwell’s Parliament banned any secular observances under threat of fines. The restrictions crossed the Atlantic and settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony restricted Christmas caroling and festivities too.

The popularity of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol struck down the grim, Puritan-inflected holiday and led to the 20^th century festive, secular tunes. One of the most popular of those songs is “White Christmas,” composed in 1940 by Jewish Irving Berlin, who did not much care for the holiday.

Berlin’s tune, Bing Crosby’s rendition, and the 1954 movie by the same title ushered in carols, songs, and theatrical productions appealing more to the Yuletide mood than to the holiday itself.

Others holiday songs like “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas” followed. New versions of these old songs, secular and traditional, quickly emerged.

Whether we want to or not, we find ourselves humming or singing along with the old-fashioned melodies.

One of our family Christmas traditions was to gather around the piano and sing carols from the church hymnal. A tradition that now includes other instruments.

Christmas music listeners might distinguish between sacred songs (those with lyrics about Christ’s birth) and secular ones (Santa Claus, snowmen, mistletoe, elves, etc.) If you go wassailing or caroling, you make conscious choices on what to sing.

Whatever lyrics you choose, Christmas music anchors us in the past —before Shakespeare and Beowulf and all the eras in between—and fills us with the spirit of Christmas.

What’s your favorite Christmas song or carol?

9 12, 2013

Christmas Customs and Traditions – Carols and Caroling

By judythemorgan|2021-12-11T10:44:25-06:00December 9th, 2013|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Every year, the holidays bring Christmas music playing non-stop through store speakers and on every radio station. Satellite radio devotes entire channels to holiday songs. Cable networks have channels exclusively for holiday music and shows.

Christmas carols show up at the same time every year and their annual appearance signals the descent of the Christmas spirit.

According to blogger Nathan Heller, “A December without them would be strange and slightly lonely, yet the prospect of their absence tends to be, by one week in, a reason in itself to look forward to the New Year.”

The word carol or carole is a medieval word of French and Anglo-Norman origin, meaning a dance song or a circle dance accompanied by singing. A carol, by broad definition, means a song of joy.

Yuletide songbooks overflow. Church hymnals devoted whole sections to Christmas songs.

Probably the most popular Christmas song is Jingle Bells, a song written by James Lord Pierpont, not for Christmas, but for the sleigh races held in his New England hometown.

Johnny Marks, a Jew who specialized in Christmas songs, gave us “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer“,”Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree“, and “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas.” There’s a complete list of his songs here.

I still dig out my copy of the original Rudolph sheet music every year.

But the tunes I think of as Christmas carols date back to the 14^th century and the medieval English songs written with alternating verse and refrain, at times blending two languages such as English and Latin.

Songs sung around the themes of the Christ child or the Virgin Mary.

The carols bring to mind the Victorian era and Christmas caroling with ladies with muffs and men in top hats.

And, family times around the piano on Christmas Eve singing carols from the church hymnal.

A tradition our family carries from generation to generation.

Every year new versions of these old songs, secular and traditional, emerge.

The popularity of flash mob caroling found in the video below confirms the impact Christmas carols and caroling can have.

People stop what they are doing. They listen. They join in.

Whether you lean toward secular songs or Christmas hymns or newer contemporary songs, carols and caroling bring a Christmas spirit that speaks to the continuity of Christmas past and a hope of Christmas future.

YOUR TURN: Do you have a favorite Christmas tune?

24 12, 2012

ASL Merry Christmas

By judythemorgan|2012-12-24T06:30:01-06:00December 24th, 2012|Monday Motivations, Uncategorized|4 Comments

My second language is American Sign Language (ASL). No, I’m not deaf. I fell in love with the language of the deaf through one of my best friends in high school whose parents were deaf.

Christmas carols and songs are such fun in sign language. Today I wanted to share via that language.

Join along with the Deaf Direct in Worcester, signing a familiar Christmas carol: