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Victorian Christmas Gets Lit
Plus a drink to fill you with spirit
We play Christmas songs in the car on the way home every day during December, and I love how many songs have references that no longer apply to our holiday traditions. For example, “Here We Come A-Wassailing,” the mid-19th-century classic starts with:
Here we come a-wassailing Among the leaves so green; Here we come a-wand’ring So fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you, And to you your wassail too; And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year And God send you a Happy New Year.
Our wassail cup is made Of the rosemary tree, And so is your beer Of the best barley.
It starts normally, but then, in true Victorian fashion, goes off the rails:
We are not daily beggars that beg from door to door, but we are neighbours’ children, whom you have seen before.
Call up the butler of this house, Put on his golden ring. Let him bring us up a glass of beer, And better we shall sing.
Bring us out a table and spread it with a cloth; Bring us out a mouldy cheese, and some of your Christmas loaf 1.
There is a lot of unpack here. I love how they have to clarify that they are not begging, but also demand that the butler bring them beer, cheese, and…
