Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Have you ever really studied the lyrics of some of our older and favorite Christmas Carols that most of us have committed to memory over the years and joyously sing during the holiday season?

How many children know what a “bobtail” is today?

And how about — “Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la la la la!” from the “Deck The Halls” song?

“Troll?” — Say what?!? Really!?? Singing about the large and sometimes nasty, mythical creatures of Scandinavian folklore and appearing in J. R. R. Tolkien “Lord of the Rings” and other stories at Christmastime?

So, with a little help from the folks at Word Genius, let’s dig into and unravel a few of the mystery words in some of our traditional Christmas Carols, shall we?

Tannenbaum

Let’s begin with an easy one most probably know already — “Tannenbaum”.

Many of us now know the song as “O Christmas Tree,” but it was originally called “O Tannenbaum.” The word “Tannenbaum” literally translates to “Fir Tree” in the German language.

In older days, Tannenbaum also meant “Christmas Tree”, although it is less commonly used today.

In Germany, people also say “Der Weihnachtsbaum,” which means “The Christmas Tree.”

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Hark

Another many likely know already is “Hark”, as in “Hark! The herald angels sing . . . .”

“Hark! Felix Mendelssohn wrote “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” in 1793.

The word “hark” comes from the Old English verb “hearken,” meaning “to listen.” In the 19th century, the word “hark” was also used as a hunting call to gain attention. People primarily use the word today only when singing Christmas carols.

And, of course, one use of the word “Herald” means an official messenger bringing news.

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Jubilee

The word “Jubilee” is an older word, meaning a celebration.

So, in the song lyrics of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, as sung by Bing Crosby back in my time, the line “The kids and girls in boy land, Will have a jubilee” means that the kids will have a celebration.

The word “Jubilee” has been in the English language since the 14th century, when it was used to designate the anniversary of the emancipation of the enslaved Hebrews.

In the modern day, “Jubilee” still means “celebration.”

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Yuletide

The word “Yuletide” is another older term for the Christmas season.

In the Song “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” (one of my personal favorites!), the line “Make the Yuletide Gay,” would primarily mean to make the Christmas season joyful and happy.

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Bobtails

Ask any youngster what is “bobtail” means or what a “bobtail” is at Christmas and get ready for shrugged shoulders or quizzical looks. I would wager a chestnut roasting on an open fire that many adults do not know, either.

A “bobtail” is a short or docked tail of an animal, most notably used in describing horses and dogs. And bobtail cats, of course.

So, in the popular song “Jingle Bells” the line “Bells on bobtails ring, making spirits bright” refers to the horses’ tails being docked, tied up in holiday decorations and bells to brighten the holiday season.

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Troll

No, we are not talking about the legendary Scandinavian trolls, nor the ones that turn to stone when exposed to sunlight in the “Lord of the Rings” and other stories by J. R. R. Tolkien.

In this sense, the word “troll” means to sing out loudly in celebration.

So, in the “Deck The Halls” song, the line “Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la la la la!”, the word “troll” in this sense means to sing out loudly, joyously, and happily to celebrate the Christmas season. (And there was that “Yuletide” word again!)

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Figgy Pudding

The “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” carol mentions “Figgy Pudding”. Chances are, my English friends may be well ahead of my American friends and me on this one, so please correct me and/or add additional information to the Comments.

As I understand it, literally “figgy” means ‘containing figs,’ and “pudding” refers to a thick, soft dessert, usually containing flour (or some other thickener), milk, eggs, flavoring, and a sweetener.

But, as if merely to confuse, “figgy pudding” is not necessarily simply a combination of figs and pudding. As a matter of fact, sometimes “figgy pudding” doesn’t even contain figs, and there may be nothing pudding-like about it. Furthermore, it appears that “figgy pudding” was originally a savory dish, composed of beef and mutton along with raisins, prunes, wine, and spices.

As I understand it, modern-day “figgy pudding is a sweeter recipe than in earlier times. Today, it is a Christmas staple similar to Fruitcake (which I love!), made with flour, sugar, spices, and dried fruit. In some recipes, the dried fruit may be figs, but it doesn’t necessarily have to contain figs to be called “figgy pudding.”

If you are still confused and would like to learn more about “Figgy Pudding”, I recommend this site → “What Is Figgy Pudding?”

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Wassail

Here we go again, it seems. What in the world does “Wassailing” mean in the song “Here We Come A-Wassailing” you may ask?

Apparently, the word “wassail” has been around since the 12th century or earlier.

“Wassail” was from the Old Norse toast “ves he’ll”, which meant “be well.”

As time went on, by the 14th century, the word was used to describe a warm beverage enjoyed around Christmastime, such as a warmed wine or cider. On cold winter nights, Christmas Carolers enjoyed the warm beverages, which, over time, gave rise to another meaning of “wassail” as a verb to describe riotous drinking and celebrating.

The term “wassailing” eventually became more and more associated with the practice of caroling and other Christmas festivities, which then eventually resulted in the 1850 song that we know today — “Here We Come A-Wassailing”. But some may rather know it as “Here We Come A-Caroling.”

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How many of these old-fashioned words did you know?

Please let us know in the Comments, along with any others we should add to the list. If nothing else, perhaps, these may provide some interesting and fun trivia questions and discussions at holiday gatherings.

I invite you to Register Today to be notified of every new upcoming post and feature throughout the coming new year because it is always an ever-expanding list!

Wishing everyone the very best of the Christmas & Holiday season! — Jim (and Red!)  🤠🐻 🎅 ❄️ ⛄🎄

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When not out fishing or gathering honey, Little Red Bear and Cinnamon Charlie love to color in their spare time!

If you have little ones around or simply enjoy coloring yourself for relaxation and fun, be sure to check out Little Red Bear’s “Christmas & Holiday Season” Coloring Pages!

Download and color as many as you like. And remember to color up some extras for the grandparents to decorate their refrigerators. We love that sort of thing!

Happy Holidays & Happy Coloring!

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(Image credits — Featured image artwork by Carole Jarvis. Banner image artwork by Christine Carey)

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If you enjoyed this piece, you may also like — “Mitakuye Oyasin — We Are All Related,” and “Walking A Mile In Another’s Moccasins; What Tracks Will We Leave Behind?”

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In a world where we can be anything, please choose to be Kind!

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“Christmas is the season of joy, of holiday greetings exchanged, of gift-giving, and of families united.” — Norman Vincent Peale

“Peace on Earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day.” — Helen Steiner Rice

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Meet Little Red Bear & His Friends — “Once Upon A Time In A Very Special Woods”

“I don’t think Christmas is necessarily about things. It’s about being good to one another, it’s about the Christian ethic, it’s about kindness.” — Carrie Fisher

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Thank You for visiting!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! — Jim (and Red!)

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“Christmas, children, is not a date.

It is a state of mind.” — Mary Ellen Chase

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