You see caroling in every Christmas Carol movie, youth groups go caroling, and you hear Christmas carols all over your radio stations the minute November pops up (which annoys some to no end because it suggests Thanksgiving is worth skipping over). Do we truly know what caroling is? Let's find out.
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| 1847 by Granger - courtesy of Fine Arts America |
Today I am researching where caroling started and how it became what it is now. I'll start with what it began as and go chronologically into what it currently is. Ready to go? All bundled up? Great!
Wassailing
Do you know what wassail is? It is a drink akin to what became today's eggnog. It was traditionally given to travelers in the spirit of hospitality since winter weather was not kind. It seems to me that our society has lost some of that spirit of hospitality (though in many cases it might not be a good time to bring it back, given our current worldly state). Wassailing was not even singing but in fact well-wishing door-to-door. Which might involve the wassail being given in return. You brought a bowl with you often to share with those you visited.
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| Wassail at Amber Valley Vineyard Courtesy of greatfoodclub.co.uk |
Wassailing can also be visiting orchards and drinking. What? Yes, you sing to trees in hopes of a good harvest. Fruit trees were to be blessed. Cider-producing England still does this. According to Historic UK this is what happens.
"The celebrations vary from region to region, but generally involve a wassail King and Queen leading the assembled group of revellers, comprising the farmers, farm workers and general villagers, in a noisy procession from one orchard to the next. In each orchard the wassailers gather round the biggest and best tree, and as a gift to the tree spirits, the Queen places a piece of wassail soaked toast into its branches, accompanied by songs such as;
“Apple tree, apple tree we all come to wassail thee,
Bear this year and next year to bloom and blow,
Hat fulls, cap fulls, three cornered sacks fills…”
The wassailers then move on to the next orchard; singing, shouting, banging pots and pans, and even firing shotguns, generally making as much noise as possible in order to both waken the sleeping tree spirits, and also to frighten off any evil demons that may be lurking in the branches."
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| Wassailing courtesy of Historic UK |
The singing was encouraged by Saint Francis of Assisi, who wanted the church to embrace music. He started this trend. It hit like wildfire and hasn't ended since it began in the 13th century. Songs that were passed down from generation to generation were finally written down and published in 1582. Those songs have gone from medieval tunes to modern spins on those tunes, but remain even today.
Some claim that the poor sang for food, that they weren't allowed to sing these in the church originally, or that English pagan society started this. There is a story that Carol Poles went missing in London and caroling began there because they sang to make clear good intentions while searching. It's sweet, but no factual basis has been found.
I do believe that the poor would sing for money and food, as illustrated by various versions of Christmas Carol. Feudal peasants would go to their Lord (English title, not Jesus) and sing for food. It was a way to get some money for food or food itself in return. On occasion, bands of drunken men would make this tradition less charming. This band of men with no inhibition left would bang on the doors of the wealthy demanding food. Bring us figgy pudding indeed! It was considered bad luck to not give carolers anything, however, so either way, they probably got their figgy pudding.
I'm going to return to the idea that pagan society started this. It began not with Christmas Carols, but with songs to celebrate winter solstice while dancing around stone circles. They used to sing for all seasons it seems, but Christmas is the only survivor left. When Christmas was celebrated at the same time as winter solstice this began the caroling, and from here Saint Francis Assisi revived Christan Christmas celebrations with his new carols that weren't in Latin. Puritans nearly killed carols, but they were sung in secret around that time, mostly in homes and not churches.
The biggest carols were Silent Night (written allegedly by Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber on a broken organ), The Twelve Days of Christmas (a memory game children played in 18th Century England), and Joy to the World. I Saw Three Ships was sung by minstrels and the words changed based on location.
A bit of trivia is in order. In some places, Christmas music before December or after Christmas day is considered unlucky. In this case, I have already broken that rule and I am listening to carols right now, on Nov. 22nd. Oops.
Jingle bells was a thanksgiving song originally. So Thanksgiving did have music, believe it or not. It was written by James Lord Pierpoint in 1850.
Today
People still brave the cold to sing door-to-door. We still sing those well-known carols, except for perhaps "here we go a wassailing", which has lost some meaning after generations of time have passed. The point is to bring Christmas cheer to friends and family, as well as anyone else in your neighborhood who cares to open their door.
I will caution you on doing this in modern times, however, as some neighborhoods might not be open to this practice and may not be safe to walk around at any time of day. You must remember that a closed, gated community might be okay to do this in, but other places may be particularly unsafe to walk in, let alone sing in. Be safe this Christmas. I love you all and would like to make sure you exercise caution going door-to-door.
Don't trespass on peoples' property just to sing them carols, especially in rural areas. Maybe call ahead and have a route of people who want to hear you sing. Prearranged visiting is just as good as a surprise. The prearranging may even get you hot cocoa, so consider that when planning the route. The elderly may want to hear you sing. Nursing homes, assisted living homes, and any elderly on your street may be a good places to "wassail" and sing. Church groups are good places to plan a caroling outing. People can sign up to be on the route in this situation, guaranteeing that you won't be chased away by anyone resembling Scrooge.
And for anyone who wants to see a wassail in an orchard from the year...hold onto your hat....2020 in Somerset UK here it is.
Sources:
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Navigation/Community/Arcadia-and-THP-Blog/November-2018/The-Little-Known-History-of-the-Caroling-Tradition#:~:text=An%20early%20version%20of%20caroling,wishes%20during%20the%20colder%20months.
https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/christmas-caroler1.htm
https://www.thedailymeal.com/holidays/christmas-caroling-origins
https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/carols_history.shtml
https://blogs.jwpepper.com/caroling-caroling-the-history-of-caroling/
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