We might be surprised by the origin of certain Christmas carols, says Andrew Gant
One of the notable features of our much-loved Christmas Carol tradition is that quite a lot of it doesn’t have much to do with Christmas. “The Holly and the Ivy” belongs to a rich tradition of fertility songs about the turning of the seasons: the religious imagery appears to be a slightly uncomfortable grafting. “Good King Wenceslas” doesn’t mention the Nativity at all as he goes tramping about his territory cooking dinner for strangers. A partridge never went up a pear tree or any other kind of tree; no ship ever sailed into Bethlehem, which is landlocked; and “Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing-Day” covers a huge range of mystical and religious imagery in its 11 verses, from the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus to last things and ancient theological disputes.
