People have sung Christmas carols for hundreds of years, these songs of praise are more than annoying tunes you hear pumped out in the shops at Christmas time. They are songs of passion about love, faith, devotion and seasonal cheer, so as little tribute to the sprint of Christmas I have dug through some Christmas carols to find some about my favourite subject tress and flowers.
So whether you are just about to climb up into the loft to dig out that Christmas tree and all those decorations or looking at ordering some wonderful flowers for the holiday, i hope you enjoy my little guide.
Well lets start with an all time classic and one i used to sing at school this time of year, The Holly and the Ivy. The carol we know today originates way back in the 18th century but is thought it goes back even further! The romans were said to hold Ivy in high regard while Holly was hallowed by the druids, both Holly and Ivy have been used to decorate churches as far back as the 16th century, the carol gives us a indication of mystery and just how old it truly is. It is a song that links old and new, the main verses speak of the Christmas story and the religious undertone for the season and the chorus resonates from the old world.
Deck the Halls, another one from my childhood which brings back wonderful memories knocking on doors in the neighbourhood and belting out various carols admittedly probably quite badly. This carol also has its roots is the distant past with the melody dating back to the 16th century in Wales and lyrics written by a Scotsman Thomas Oliphant this truly is a carol for the United Kingdom. Full of festive joy in decorating the house with holly, singing by the fire and enjoying a little sip of Christmas spirit.
Not quite as old as the previous two or a carol really but always reminds me of Christmas and is very uplifting and packed full of festive spirit, Mistletoe and Wine. Made famous by Cliff Richard in 1988 but first performed 12 years earlier in a play called Scraps, although Cliff modified the lyrics to reflect the more religious meaning of the season.
So there you have it my little bit for Christmas this December, hope you found it interesting, I certainly did researching the facts and history behind these songs. All this talk of wine, mead and Christmas spirit has made me thirsty think its time to crack open a bottle of wine and start the celebrations early.
Let me know of any more carols that have a flower theme, maybe we could start a list?