Category Archives: Music History

During the fourth century, the practice of bringing evergreen trees indoors during the dark days of winter, spread across Europe. In medieval Germany, the increase in Christianity gave rise to a new tradition.  Germans began decorating the trees with apples … Continue reading →

As traditional and familiar as most any English Christmas carol, the song is among the season’s more misunderstood. A celebration of a holiday custom that pretty much puzzles modern celebrants: wassailing. Wassailing? What’s wassailing? The text of the carol employs … Continue reading →

When Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans came to power in England in 1647, the celebration of Christmas and singing carols was stopped. However, the carols survived as people still sang them in secret. Carols remained mainly unsung until Victorian times. … Continue reading →