Hospital Radio: Exploring the traditions and tales behind your favourite carols

Well, it’s arrived, Christmas is here and as normal I was scratching my head wondering how the chap from Torbay Hospital radio could write about this week.

I like where possible to include musical references in my articles where I can and this time of year is perfect. There are hundreds of Christmas songs, which are all over the station at the moment and you can listen even if you are not in hospital by asking your smart speaker or going to our website torbayhospitalradio.com.

Now when I was a child we would often go carol singing. Knocking on an unsuspecting neighbour’s door and then launching into carols. Now if you have been visited in this manner you know it can come with mixed results.

My friends and I were very keen on ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas,’ mainly because the words are easy to remember, we followed this with the first two lines of ‘Silent Night’ and a rousing version of the chorus of ‘White Christmas.’ I am afraid none of it was very inspiring.

Some carollers of course were very good, perhaps being a proper choir who had practiced to a level where it was a treat for the ear. I am not sure our efforts were. Maybe knowing a bit about the carols would have helped, immersing our selves in the story behind the tune.

When we did it, we were trying to earn a few bob. Now it is for a much nobler cause or a charity. But I am not sure people knock on doors any more. That’s probably better, it’s always a bit awkward when you go to the door and nobody has any change nowadays.

Maybe carollers have credit card machines now.

Carols of course are much more than just catchy tunes they’re snapshots of history, politics, and culture. Every time we sing them, we’re echoing centuries of tradition, sometimes with meanings that have shifted over time.

For example, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and the demand for figgy pudding in the lyrics reflects a real tradition in England, where carollers would sing outside wealthy homes expecting food or drink in return. Not a lot different from why we used to do it when I was a child.

Some of the words in everyday use come from these tunes. The phrase “’Tis the season to be jolly” comes straight from the Christmas carol Deck the Halls, and it captures the essence of what December has come to symbolize: joy, generosity, and togetherness.

Being jolly isn’t just about laughter - it’s about carrying a lightness, a willingness to spread warmth. Isn’t that
Christmas in a nutshell?

There are other commonly used phrases from carols.

“Peace on earth, goodwill to men” – from It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, often quoted in speeches or writing to emphasize harmony and kindness.

Written in 1818 by Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber ‘Silent Night’ was first performed with guitar accompaniment because the church organ had broken. The term is now used to describe calm, quiet, or reflective moments.

Written in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, “Do you hear what I hear?” was intended as a plea for peace. Now it is often used when someone wants to draw attention to a sound or quite often a rumour.

We should not forget Charles Dickens in this discussion and A Christmas Carol (1843) which helped popularise carolling itself. Before then, singing in the streets was common, but Dickens’s story tied music directly to the spirit of generosity and festive cheer.

So why does the Christmas season inspires jolliness? Well, it’s tradition, centuries of decorating trees,
lighting candles, feasting, it’s something that we anticipate all year. It is a time we are generous, giving gifts lifts the spirits.

Also, as the year closes, people often pause to appreciate what they have, which fosters gratitude and cheer. Happy Christmas Everyone.