Patrick Comerford
Advent began this week with Advent Sunday, and the countdown to Christmas is well under way.
At noon each day in Advent this year, I am offering one image as part of my ‘Advent Calendar’ for 2025, and one Advent or Christmas carol or hymn.
‘The Holly and the Ivy’ is a traditional English folk Christmas carol, and is number 514 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The song can be traced only as far as the early 19th century, but the lyrics reflect an association between holly and Christmas that dates back to mediaeval times.
The lyrics and melody varied from one community to another, but have long been standardised. The version that is now popular was collected in 1909 by the English folk song collector Cecil Sharp in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, from a woman named Mary Clayton:
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.
The holly bears a blossom,
As white as the lily flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To be our sweet Saviour. (Refrain)
The holly bears a berry,
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to do us sinners good. (Refrain)
The holly bears a prickle,
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn. (Refrain)
The holly bears a bark,
As bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To redeem us all. (Refrain)
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)
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