Who was King
Wenceslas and What the Heck Is Figgy Pudding?
The Scoop On Your Favorite
Christmas Carols
Have you ever wondered, as I have,
about the origins of some of our most beloved Christmas songs, and about some
of the strange words and phrases in those songs? Wonder no more. Here's the
inside story.
"Good King Wenceslas"
'Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep and crisp and even.'
King Wenceslas was born into the
royal Premysl dynasty in what is now the Czech Republic. His grandmother was
murdered by an anti-Christian group, of which his mother was a member. The good
king himself was murdered by his brother in 929. Not so cheery, huh? Wenceslas
was named a saint and his feast day is celebrated on Dec. 26, also the feast of
St. Stephen.
"We Wish You a Merry
Christmas"
'Oh, bring us a figgy pudding,
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding,
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding,
And a cup of good cheer.'
Figgy pudding is a steamed English
dessert, better known as plum pudding, that dates back to sixteenth century England.
It's not anything like Jell-O. It's made with dried fruit and figs, hence the
name. At one time it also included suet, the white fat found around kidneys and
loins in cattle and sheep.
"It's Beginning To Look a Lot
Like Christmas"
'A Pair of Hopalong boots and a
pistol that shoots
Is the wish of Barney and Ben.
Dolls that will talk and will go for a walk
Is the hope of Janice and Jen.'
Any boomers out there? Do you
remember Hopalong Cassidy, the cowboy? I loved him. Watched his show every
week. Had a crush on his cute sidekick, Lucky. Did you know the Hopalong boots
in this song referred to Hopalong Cassidy? I didn't. I don't even know most of
the words so missed the Hopalong reference all together.
2018
Update: There are some who want to ban this song because it’s sexist. It says
boots and pistols are for boys and dolls for girls.
When the song was written, things were more sexist than now. Enjoy the song,
and if your daughters want cowboy boots and your sons want dolls, go for it.
"Mistletoe and Holly"
'Oh by gosh, by golly, it's time
for mistletoe and holly,
Tasty pheasants, Christmas
presents,
Countrysides covered with snow.'
The use of mistletoe and holly goes
back to our pagan past. Pagans believed mistletoe, holly and ivy protected us
from evil spirits and also encouraged the return of spring.
"Here We Come A-Wassailing"
'Love and joy comes to you,
And to your wassail too.
And God bless you
And send you a Happy New Year.'
Anyone ever seen a wassail? Me
neither. Sounds like a furry little animal. A wassail is a drink, warm mulled
ale or wine. Yum. Perfect for sipping on cold Christmas Eves. The word comes
from an old Anglo-Saxon toast, "Waes hael," meaning to be in good
health. Now you know what a wassail is.
"The Christmas Song"
'Chestnuts roasting on an open
fire,
Jack Frost nipping at your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a
choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.'
I think we all know what a roasted
chestnut is. I've never tasted one, but I hear it's low-fat and tastes more
like a sweet potato than a nut. I've seen vendors on Philadelphia sidewalks selling roasted
chestnuts, but I've never had the inclination to try one.
"Auld Lang Syne"
'Should auld acquaintance be
forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne."
What the heck does all that mean? No
one is sure. The poet Robert Burns put the words to paper in the eighteenth
century. The song likely has its roots in Scottish literature. Roughly
translated, auld lang syne means "the good old days."
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer"
'Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
Had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever saw it,
You would even say it glows.'
Rudolph was created in 1939 by a
copywriter for the Montgomery Ward department stores. Gene Autry was approached
to record the song but didn't want to. His wife talked him into it. The rest,
as they say, is history.
2018
Update: Some want to ban this song because it represents bullying. I never
thought of it like that. I suppose it is saying Rudolph was bullied. I enjoy
the song. And Rudolph wins at the end.
Last by not least -
"Grandma Got Run Over by a
Reindeer"
'She'd been drinking too much
eggnog,
And we begged her not to go.
But she left her medication,
So she stumbled out the door
Into the snow.'
Don't you love this song? Makes no
sense, but it's such fun. Does anyone still drink eggnog in these more
health-conscious times? I used to enjoy eggnog (without the alcohol) when I was
a child. No way would I touch the artery-clogging stuff now. But that's just
me. If you enjoy it, especially with a little Irish whiskey, go for it.
In the words of Tiny Tim, "God
bless us, everyone."
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year.
I raise a goblet of wassail and a cup of eggnog to one and all.
