Tipper, Pap, and Steve
In the early years of grammar school we sung Christmas songs every year. I especially remember my second grade teacher, Mrs. Sult, teaching us Christmas songs during the weeks leading up to the special day. I don’t remember if we sung them for the entire school, but we might have.
“Deck the Halls” was one that we sung. Of course all us kids liked the fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la part. And I suppose that one was easier for kids to learn because of the repetitive nature of that line. In other words at least the kids would sing on that part!
Like many Christmas songs “Deck the Halls” has a fascinating history.
Here some of the story from the website Christmas HQ.
A Welsh song going all the way back to the 16th Century, Deck The Halls is a Christmas song in English, but exists as a New Years song in Wales. The Welsh lyrics and melody were first published in 1700s and open with the stanza, “The best pleasure on new year’s eve / Is house and fire and a pleasant family / A pure heart and brown ale / A gentle song and the voice of the harp.” The English version was written by Thomas Oliphant, a Scottish musician, in 1862 and includes the current lyrics about the joys of decorating a space for the Christmas season. The original lyrics advocated a boozy celebration, “Fill the meadcup, drain the barrel, Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,” but a variation appears in the 1877 Pennsylvania School Journal with today’s better known lyrics, “Don we now our gay apparel.”
Fascinating that the song started out as a New Years song. I wonder what Oliphant would say about the song still being sung and played in the year 2025.
I hope you enjoyed Paul and Ben’s video! Ben is our nephew. He showed up in many of the early Blind Pig and the Acorn music videos and it sure is good to see him in a new one!
Tipper
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
So nice to see your nephew, Ben and Paul playing together. What a lovely playing of this song! Thank you and prayers for your family.
I hope Miss Louzine gets to feeling better and can enjoy the holiday season, but also to enjoy the delicious foods around Christmas. I know she’d love to be able too. My heart and prayers go out for her, she probably would also like to be with her beautiful, talented family to enjoy those beautiful songs and memories holidays evoke when sitting around visiting , watching all those little ones and the gifts be handed out. Oh how sweet those things are. Us seniors have many memories and would always appreciate them and garnering many more. Always. God bless everyone, and for those requesting prayers, may God answer them in all His glory, that we can continue, always, to give Him our praises, honor, glorify Him with our thanks for being our Savior. But mostly to teach others of His saving grace. A most Merry Christmas to all today, tomorrow and always.
The note about getting a paper sack with fruit and candy must have been an old tradition. My great aunt Sarah was born in the late 1890’s. She never married but always had a soft spot for children. She was very generous with her nieces and nephews, even helping to send them off to school. When they had children of their own, every year a few days after the celebrated Christmas at home, she would invite all of us to her house for a holiday party. She lived in the old home place which had huge boards for the floor and smelled old. It was filled with furniture and books from a bygone era. Every year she would fix a small tree covered in gumdrops. Then we each were given a paper bag with an orange, mixed nuts and old fashioned Christmas candy. There was also popcorn, lots of popcorn. And punch in a paper cup. It was the same every year until we got too big and she got too old to do it. I’m 75 now and she passed away in the 1980’s. The smell of the old home place, the books, the taste of the gumdrops, popcorn and old time Christmas candy is still vivid in my mind. Cracking Brazil nuts from the collection in the paper bag was always my favorite, because this was the only time of the year we got Brazil nuts.
Loved the story, Paul and Ben!
Scots live their booze!!
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Paul & Ben.
As always praying for Granny.
Glad to see Ben in a video again! Such a talented young man!
Fantastic ❤️
Tipper your girls look so much like you did in that picture at the top! So sweet. Hoping you’re enjoying the days preceding the holiday. Love to Granny and the family! ❣️ Gina
I started school in 1947 and maybe about second or third grade our teacher wrote this song on the chalk board – black board then. She left it on the board for probably a couple of weeks during December. She used it as a moral lesson as there were a couple of kids that were shunned because they talked differently. They were from up North somewhere – too many years have passed for me to remember where or even their names. Their family moved away after that one year. We all learned it and sang it together.
I have sung and loved Christmas music from my earliest memories–carols, kid songs, cantatas, even some Handel. I most enjoy hearing children sing in Christmas programs and plays, whether it is “Frosty, the Snowman” or “Away in a Manger.” One modern Christmas song I’ve come to appreciate is “Mary’s Boy Child,” a toe-tapper performed by a disco group with an odd name: Boney M. You can hear it on YouTube, Spotify, etc. Very catchy and very meaningful.
Enjoyed the video and seeing Ben.
Beautiful!
Oh My – thank you Barbara Nichols-Dyson Miller for taking me way back in time with those two songs. I had totally forgotten about them. I remember my daddy singing the first one to me as a wee child, The second I don’t recall where I learned it, but likely in school. Tipper – thank you for starting my Sunday with such an upbeat, toe tapping song from Paul & Ben. Granny’s toes may not be up to tapping this morning, but I’m praying she will enjoy a comfortable day, and her fingers will be up to working on her crocheting. Prayers and blessing for you all in Wilson Holler.
What a lovely rendition of one of my favorite Christmas songs. Thank you for sharing. As I’m fairly new to The Blind Pig and the Acorn(been with Celebrating Appalachia longer), I’m just constantly amazed by the music your family so joyously creates. Those 2 instruments were the perfect choice for that song!!
Oh my goodness…that was some pretty pick’n! Thank you for that jolly tune this morning. I don’t know if you got any snow, Tipper, but it looks like a foot on my neighbors truck across the road. Our church was canceled, as you can’t even see where the road is this morning—and it’s 12 degrees but feels like -1. It’s gonna get colder throughout the day, but it sure is a beautiful sight out my window. I am going to look on television and see if I can find a good sermon to listen to. Everyone please stay warm and safe today! Happy Sunday!
I loved it-got the toes tapping and the spirit perked right up! The fellas played real PURTY together and when turns his head so I see his silhouette, he sure favors your Pop! A talented Apple don’t fall far from a lovely Apple tree now does it? lol God bless you all and may you be blessed for the joy you freely give others with your musical talent! What a blessing and how joyful so many thanks and here’s to you! (as I hoist up the Java cup in your honor, fellers!)
Good morning Tipper. TY for the video and links. We had Chorus class in one scholl I went to in Grovetown, GA (3rd-6th grades) while Daddy was stationed at nearby Fort Gordon. I remember the first 2 songs I had to learn.
the first (i don’t remember the name)
Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat.
Please put a penny in an old man’s hat.
If you have no penny a hay’ penny will do.
And if you have no hay’ penny then God bless you.
the second was ” Children Go Where I Send Thee” a traditional African-American Song. There are many versions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRwImrZvlao
1. Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I will send thee one by one:
One for the little bitty baby.
Born of the Virgin Mary.
Wrapped in swaddling clothing.
Born, born O
Born in Bethlehem.
2. Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I will send thee two by two:
Two for Paul and Silas,
One for the little bitty baby.
Born, born
Born in Bethlehem.
3. Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I will send thee three by three:
Three for the Hebrew children,
Two for Paul and Silas,
One for the little bitty baby.
Born, born
Born in Bethlehem.
4. Four for the four that came knockin’ at the door.
5. Five for the gospel writers.
6. Six for the six that couldn’t get fixed.
7. Seven for the seven that came down from heaven heaven.
8. Eight for the eight that stood at the gate.
9. Nine for the nine all dressed so fine.
10. Ten for the ten commandments.
11. Eleven for the eleven deriders.
12. Twelve for the twelve Disciples.
Barbara, Mrs. Sult taught us the first one you mentioned too 🙂 Thank you!
I did not know those were Christmas songs–thought they were just old old songs passed down through the generations….learn something new every day
That was wonderful picking! I’m not sure where I’ve been hiding as I didn’t realize Paul picked the mandolin. It’s one of my favorite instruments. Good to see Ben!
I remember in third grade we had to sing O’ Christmas Tree in German in front of the whole school and our families. We had to stand on the risers and we were worried about falling or being pushed off by the boys. We had to wear long dresses. We couldn’t afford that, but somehow Momma found a lady who had one daughter and had outgrown some clothes. She purchased a dress and I thought it the most beautiful thing even if second hand.
God bless y’all!
merry Christmas everybody, God bless you very much, God bless Granny Wilson