Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly, from Family Christmas Online^TM

"Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly" celebrates a wealth of old New Years festivities, hanging greenery, burning a Yule log, and having parties. The tune probably goes back to the sixteenth century, and was quite popular in the 18th century, reputedly used by Mozart and harpist John Parry Dall.

Ironically, the archaic-sounding lyrics date only to the nineteenth century. They were probably written in America, during a time when a revival of traditional Christmas celebrations was stirred by the popularity of Dickens' Christmas Carol and the poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Frankly, I admire the lyricist - he or she was able to communicate the culture and language of a Renaissance New Year's celebration in verses that are still sung today.

If you read those lyrics carefully, you'll realize there's nothing about Christmas in the song at all - even the New Year's practices it names have gone mostly out of style. Consequently nobody gets upset when the song is occasionally mistreated in movies (A Christmas Story) or in comic strips (Pogo's "Deck Us all with Boston Charlie"). P.S. Don't go see the movie called Deck the Halls for my benefit.

Here's a quick glossary:

• Boughs of holly - branches from the holly tree, a winter decoration that some people say traces back to the druids
• Gay apparel - party clothes
• Troll - to sing boisterously, especially in a round or other counterpoint.
• Blazing Yule - the Yule log - tradition said that on New Year's Eve (Yule), it was good luck to bring in a log that was long enough to burn all night long.
• Strike the harp - This probably implies both: "strum a stringed instrument," and "play the piano," since the array of strings on pianos and harpsichords are called "harps" to this day. Or "strike" could be a sort of shorthand for "strike up," in the sense that we might say "Strike up the band." Whatever this phrase means exactly, there is to be no hitting.
• Merry measure - keep in time while singing along on a fast song

Deck the hall with boughs of holly!
Fa La La La La, La La La La
'Tis the season to be jolly!
Fa La La La La, La La La La
Don we now our gay apparel!
Fa La La La La La, La La La
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol!
Fa La La La La, La La La La

See the blazing Yule before us!
Fa La La La La, La La La La
Strike the harp and join the chorus!
Fa La La La La, La La La La
Follow me in merry measure!
Fa La La La La La, La La La
While I tell of Yuletide treasure!
Fa La La La La, La La La La

Fast away the old year passes.
Fa La La La La, La La La La
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses.
Fa La La La La, La La La La
Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa La La La La La, La La La
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa La La La La, La La La La

If you have any corrections or comments you would like to make about this page, please contact me and I will be glad to hear from you. God bless - Paul