A Righte Merrie Christmasse Part 10

Christmas Eve is especially the time for decorating houses and churches with evergreens, a custom which seems to have come from heathen times; at least, no one seems to know when it commenced.

Polydore Vergil[40] says:--"Trymming of the temples with hangynges, floures, boughes, and garlondes, was taken of the heathen people, whiche decked their idols and houses with such array." That it is an old custom in England to deck houses, churches, etc., at Christ-tide with evergreens is undoubted--the only question is, how old is it?

Stow, in his _Survey_, says: "Against the Feast of Christmas, every man's house, as also their parish churches, were decked with holme, ivy, bayes, and whatsoever the season of the year afforded to be green. The Conduits and Standards in the streets were, likewise, garnished; among the which I read that, in the year 1444, by tempest of thunder and lightning, towards the morning of Candlemas day, at the Leadenhall in Cornhill, a standard of tree, being set up in the midst of the pavement, fast in the ground, nailed full of holme and ivie, for disport of Christma.s.s to the people, was torne up and cast down by the malignant Spirit (as was thought), and the stones of the pavement all about were cast in the streets, and into divers houses, so that the people were sore aghast at the great tempests."

[Footnote 40: Langley's _Abridg._, p. 100.]

Stow, we see, makes no mention of mistletoe, nor do we find it in old churchwardens' accounts, because mistletoe was accounted a heathen plant, on account of its a.s.sociation with the Druids, and not only was therefore unsuitable to bedeck a place of Christian worship, but the old rite of kissing beneath it rendered it inadmissible. Still, in Queen Anne's time, it was recognised as a Christmas decoration, for Gay in his _Trivia_ has sung--

When _Rosemary_ and _Bays_, the poet's crown, Are bawl'd in frequent cries through all the town; Then judge the festival of Christmas near, Christmas, the joyous period of the year!

Now with bright _Holly_ all the temples strow With _Laurel_ green, and sacred MISTLETOE.

The mistletoe is found in several counties in England, but the bulk of that which we have now at Christ-tide comes from Brittany. There is a popular belief that it grows on oaks, possibly on account of Druidical tradition to that effect, but, as a matter of fact, its connection with that tree in England is very rare, Dr. Ball, in a paper in the _Journal of Botany_, only mentioning seven authentic instances of its growth on the oak tree in this country. It princ.i.p.ally makes its _habitat_ on the apple, poplar, hawthorn, lime, maple, and mountain ash, and has been found on the cedar of Lebanon and the laurel.

The bay tree was believed to have the property of protection against fire or lightning. The ivy was considered to prevent intoxication, and for this reason Bacchus is represented as being crowned with ivy leaves. The holly was originally the Holy Tree, and tradition says that, unknown before, it sprang up in perfection and beauty beneath the footsteps of Christ when he first trod the earth, and that, though man has forgotten its attributes, the beasts all reverence it, and are never known to injure it.

The four following carols are all of the fifteenth century:

HOLLY AND IVY

Holly and Ivy made a great party, Who should have the mastery In lands where they go.

Then spake Holly, "I am fierce and jolly, I will have the mastery In lands where we go."

Then spake Ivy, "I am loud and proud, And I will have the mastery In lands where we go."

Then spake Holly, and set him down on his knee, "I pray thee, gentle Ivy, say[41] me no villany In lands where we go."

[Footnote 41: Do.]

HERE COMES HOLLY

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, now sing we.

Here comes Holly, that is so gent,[42]

To please all men is his intent, Alleluia.

But Lord and Lady of this Hall, Whosoever against Holly call.

Alleluia.

Whosoever against Holly do cry, In a lepe[43] he shall hang full high.

Alleluia.

Whosoever against Holly doth sing, He may weep and hands wring.

Alleluia.

[Footnote 42: Pretty.]

[Footnote 43: A large basket.]

IVY, CHIEF OF TREES

The most worthy she is in town, He that saith other, doth amiss; And worthy to bear the crown; _Veni coronaberis._

Ivy is soft and meek of speech, Against all bale she is bliss; Well is he that may her reach, _Veni coronaberis._

Ivy is green with colour bright, Of all trees best she is; And that I prove well now be right, _Veni coronaberis._

Ivy beareth berries black.

G.o.d grant us all His bliss; For there shall we nothing lack, _Veni coronaberis._

THE CONTEST OF THE IVY AND THE HOLLY

_Nay, Ivy, nay, it shall not be, I wis, Let Holly have the mastery as the manner is._

Holly standeth in the hall, fair to behold, Ivy stands without the door; she is full sore a cold.

_Nay, Ivy, nay_, etc.

Holly and his merry men, they dancen and they sing; Ivy and her maidens, they weepen and they wring.

_Nay, Ivy, nay_, etc.

Ivy hath a lybe, she caught it with the cold, So may they all have, that with Ivy hold.

_Nay, Ivy, nay_, etc.

Holly hath berries, as red as any rose, The foresters, the hunters, keep them from the does.

_Nay, Ivy, nay_, etc.

Ivy hath berries, as black as any sloe, There comes the owl and eats them as she go.

_Nay, Ivy, nay_, etc.

Holly hath birds, a full fair flock, The nightingale, the poppinjay, the gentle laverock.

_Nay, Ivy, nay_, etc.

Good Ivy, good Ivy, what birds hast thou?

None but the owlet that cries How! How!

_Nay, Ivy, nay_, etc.

It is just as well to be particular as to the quality of the holly used in Christmas decorations; for on that depends who will be the ruler of the house during the coming year--the wife or the husband. If the holly is smooth the wife will get the upper hand, but if it be p.r.i.c.kly, then the husband will gain the supremacy. It is also unlucky to bring holly into the house before Christmas Eve. And, please, if you are doing at home any decorations for the church, be sure and make them on the ground floor, for it is specially unlucky to make anything intended for use in a church in an upper chamber.

The custom of church decoration may possibly have been suggested by a verse in the first lesson appointed to be read on Christmas eve--lx.

Isaiah, 13. "The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary." Some years ago, at the commencement of the great Church revival, the Christmas decorations in churches were very elaborate, but they are now, as a rule, much quieter, and the only admissible evergreens are contained in the following distich--

Holly and Ivy, Box and Bay, Put in the Church on Christmas day.

These decorations, both in church and in private houses, ought to be kept up until the 1st of February, Candlemas eve, when they should be burnt--a proceeding which set fire to the hall of Christ Church, Oxford, in 1719. Herrick gives the following:--

CEREMONIES FOR CANDLEMa.s.sE EVE