We Wish You A Merry Christmas Fun Facts

We wish you a Merry Christmas:

"We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" is one of the most popular holiday songs. The greetings "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year" are given verbally in real time as well as in reel time. It used to be that store clerks would shout this out as shoppers entered and left various establishments. These phrases can also be found on cards, signs, posters, and decorations during this time of year. The carol however, remains ambiguous as unlike most Christmas songs there is nothing known about it's origin. There are no details regarding who wrote the lyrics and or penned the tune. This is why We Wish You A Merry Christmas remains obscure.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas: Details, details

According to Wikepedia, the history of the carol is possibly derived from an old English tradition. Once upon a time, wealthy people gave Christmas treats to the carolers who came calling on Christmas Eve. One of the foods was "figgy pudding", which is in one line of the song. In the West Country of England, this referred to a plum or raisin pudding and did not actually have figs in the ingredients. The lyrics to this holiday song as we know them today are:

"We wish you a merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year

Oh, bring us some figgy pudding

Oh, bring us some figgy pudding

Oh, bring us some figgy pudding

And bring it right here

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year

We won't go until we get some

We won't go until we get some

We won't go until we get some

So bring it right here

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year

We all like our figgy pudding

We all like our figgy pudding

We all like our figgy pudding

With all its good cheers

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year

We wish you a merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year

In the 1830's however, there were different words to the carol which are no longer sung today and they were.

We wish you a merry Christmas

And a happy new year;

A pocket full of money,

And a cellar full of beer"

We wish you a Merry Christmas: The first nonreligious carol

Folklore says that children, referred to as "mummers " went from door to door singing the Christmas song and that later the boys would go to Farmer Bueller's door and sing. After performing a play the lads would be given beer to drink by the farmer's maid. Hopefully, this was an ale and not intoxicating beer as we know it today. We wish y0u a merry Christmas is absent from the almanac of Christmas carols so nothing can be verified about the popular holiday song.

The website Galay music indicates that the song broke the mold of holiday songs being religious in nature and brought some humor to the season. This site says the song most likely came out of the 1600s when it was performed for the rich and famous. This is the second reference to those of means enjoying a benefit from Christmas that the less fortunate did not.

Arthur Warrell was accredited for the worldwide popularity of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" as he arranged the tune for his group "Bristol University Madrigal Singers." this took place in 1935 and it was performed at a concert on December 6, of that same year.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas: the dark side

According to Stickbranding.com, there was a time when the song was considered a threat rather than a holiday greeting. At one point "We wish you a Merry Christmas” was sung by rowdy servants who were demanding more alcohol from their masters, or else. No specific date was given but it has been said that during the 1600s Christmas turned into a time of drunkenness, fighting, and debauchery where the true meaning of the holiday seemed lost. Things got so out of hand that Massachusetts banned the holiday in 1659. This is why there is a misconception that the Christmas was once illegal in America.