Truly, “this holy tide of Christmas all others doth efface.Have you ever listened to a Christmas carol and thought, “Wait… what did they say?!" What does it mean to "deck" the halls, anyway? □ These seasonal songs are filled with some really unusual expressions and vocabulary, called fossil words: words that are now used in only specific contexts, especially in idioms. ![]() In the words of John, in the incarnation “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. “And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’” (Rom. “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound (Isa. “O Zion, you who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain O Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’” (Isa. Various Scriptures, both prophetic and reflecting on the event afterward, have this note of joyful celebration in the “glad tidings” delivered by the angels. One “to save us all from Satan’s power,” as the carol puts it (CH-1), and, “To free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s power and might,” (CH-4 cf. And the reason for great rejoicing follows: “For there is born to you…a Saviour” (vs. This sentiment perfectly reflects the message of the angel on that first Christmas night: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy” (Lk. A modern paraphrase of the words might read: “May God keep you joyful, gentlemen. Five centuries ago it meant make, or keep. Nor is the word “rest” used as we would do, today. The opening line has frequently suffered from the careless removal of the comma after “merry.” The text does not refer to merry gentlemen, as though it were telling some giddy revelers to have a nice holiday. Surely the intended meaning is, as some modern editors have it, “ efface,” meaning to eclipse, as the glory of Christmas overshadows other festive times. ![]() To “deface” means to disfigure, as graffiti mars a wall. For example, I’ve never liked the use of “deface” in CH-7: I have made slight changes of my own in what is posted on the Cyber Hymnal. It is difficult to find a definitive or original version of this carol, as many alterations have been made over the years. Of these, most today use only CH-1, 3, 4, and 7. ![]() The former version had seven stanzas, the latter had eight. What is given in the Cyber Hymnal seems to be a mix of Sandys’ version, and that which became traditional in London in the mid-1870’s. There are several things to say about the lyrics of this carol. The traditional tune is excellent, and it apparently originated in Cornwall, although we don’t know the composer. Sandys’ book contributed to the mid-Victorian revival of the Christmas holiday, and the practice of singing carols, of which Queen Victoria herself was an enthusiastic supporter. Sandys (pronounced Sands), an English solicitor, in his 1833 volume, Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern. It may have originated some five centuries ago. Note: The author of this carol is unknown.
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