Christmas Carols

Did you know that the custom of sending Christmas cards began in 1840 when the First ‘Penny Post¹ postal deliveries began; that postmen in Victorian times were often called ‘Robins’ as their uniform was coloured red; and that in the 19th century the Post Office delivered cards on Christmas morning. What’s happened to our postal services since then?

But more to the point, our first carols were sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but these weren’t carols but pagan songs sung at the Winter Solstice celebrations. Initially not many people enjoyed Christmas carols as they were written and sung in Latin – a language only the clergy and other professionals could understand.

This changed, however, in the 13th century when St Francis of Assisi began to stage Nativity plays in Italy, and the cast of these plays sang songs, or canticles, as a method of story telling.

But when Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans came to power in 1647 (in other words, for us dour Nonconformists!) the celebration of Christmas was stopped.

Carol singing, as we think of it today, became popular in the Victorian era. Remember Thomas Hardy’s novel, ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’, in which some labourers at fictional Mellstock in Dorset, practised a time-worn hymn, embodying a quaint Christianity:

     ‘Remember Adam’s fall, O thou man:
     Remember Adam’s fall from Heaven to Hell.
     Remember Adam’s fall;
     How he hath condemn’d all
     In Hell perpetual there for to dwell.’

Today, along with Santa Claus, decorating our homes and kissing under the mistletoe, singing carols is very much a part of people’s fun. And, by the way, did you know, as I’m informed, that every UK adult now sends, on average, fifty-five Christmas cards each year. Phew, what an awful cost!

Anyhow, be that as it may, here’s to a festive occasion and a truly happy one at that.