Last week, our managing editor Chris Queen wrote about how his taste in music has changed since he's gotten older, focusing specifically on Christmas music. What he said resonated deeply with me.
As a kid, I was a huge fan of secular pop Christmas songs. Admittedly, I played the heck out of my Mariah Carey CD back in the 1990s. As I got older, I drifted more toward those rooted in Christianity — your "We Three Kings" and "O Holy Nights" and such. To be honest, I don't like most modern Christian music, Christmas or not, but I do love the old hymns and standards.
My point is that if you'd told me a decade or two ago that my favorite Christmas song would end up being "The Holly and the Ivy," I never would have believed you, but here we are.
The carol isn't all that catchy or entertaining. It's actually incredibly simplistic, which may be part of its appeal. As I wrote last week, I'm all about simplifying Christmas these days. It also tells the story of Jesus via symbolism found in nature. If you know me at all, you know I'm much happier in a garden, on a beach, or in a forest or jungle than I am anywhere else. I always say I feel closer to God when I'm surrounded by nature than I ever have in any church, and I think that's probably the bigger reason why I love it so.
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A lot of my colleagues here have been writing about their favorite — and least favorite — Christmas songs, which is what inspired me to write about this particular carol that has found such a special place in my heart in recent years. My plan was to take a deep dive into its history, but the truth is that it's kind of boring. It's an old English folk song with no clear origins.
The first known record of the version we sing today isn't that old, however. It's from 1909, when English folk song collector Cecil Sharp supposedly heard a woman named Mary Clayton sing it in a market town in the Cotswolds. There's also a version that was published in three broadsides in Birmingham sometime during the early 1800s, and many other variants in between. But most experts believe it actually dates back much further, possibly to medieval times.
But, as I said, what really draws me to the song is the nature and the symbolism behind it. So, I thought I'd focus on that instead, but honestly, the song does that on its own, and I think that's why I like it so much. It recounts the greatest story ever told and recreates it via a couple of plants and a handful of repetitive verses.
The holly represents Jesus, and each verse tells a portion of His story via a specific part of the plant. Its white blossoms represent the purity of Mary when she gave birth. The plant's red berries are symbolic of His blood when He was crucified. The "prickle" of the holly plant represents the Crown of Thorns placed on His head, and the bark symbolizes His suffering.
The song doesn't explain the specific meaning behind the ivy, and that's something that many have debated over the years. Some say it's a symbol of everlasting life, while others believe it represents the faithfulness and devotion of Mary. Either way, it points out that when both plants are full grown, "of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown," but the ivy supports it.
My personal favorite part of "The Holly and the Ivy" is the refrain. In between each verse about Jesus' suffering, it breaks the narrative and brings light ("the rising of the sun"), joy ("and the running of the deer"), and worship ( "the playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir") to the song, a nod to the hope of the Resurrection.
At first glance, it’s just an old song about the woods, but once you pay attention, you realize it’s about something much bigger. I think that’s why it sticks with me now. It weaves together the most important parts of my life in a way that is simple and optimistic, without trying too hard like so much music does today.
In case you're unfamiliar, here are the modern lyrics:
1 The holly and the ivy
when they are both full grown,
of all the trees that are in the wood
the holly bears the crown.
Refrain:
The rising of the sun
and the running of the deer,
the playing of the merry organ,
sweet singing in the choir.
2 The holly bears a blossom,
white as the lily flower,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
to be our sweet Savior. [Refrain]
3 The holly bears a berry,
as red as any blood,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
to do poor sinners good. [Refrain]
4 The holly bears a prickle,
as sharp as any thorn,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
on Christmas day in the morn. [Refrain]
5 The holly bears a bark,
as bitter as any gall,
and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
for to redeem us all. [Refrain]
6 The holly and the ivy,
when they are both full grown,
of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown. [Refrain]
And I'll leave you with my favorite version:
