You hear them on the radio, and you sing along, year after year. Now, you can finally know who “Parson Brown” is supposed to be.
Who is Parson Brown? (“Winter Wonderland”)
If you grew up in a cold area where it snowed a lot in the winter, you probably made a snowman at some point. But did you ever dress it up like “Parson Brown”? Probably not. Here’s what “Winter Wonderland” is talking about. “Winter Wonderland” was written in the 1930s by songwriters Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith, but it’s obviously got a streak of nostalgia, setting it a little further in the past. In the early 20th century, ministers of the Anglican church didn’t always have a set church where they worked. Many would travel to small towns that didn’t have their own Anglican ministers to perform religious ceremonies—particularly weddings. That’s why, when the kids in the song “build a snowman and pretend that he is Parson Brown,” a name so chosen because it’s generic, the snowman then “asks” the kids if they are married because “he can do the job if [he’s] in town.”
Who is Good King Wenceslas? (“Good King Wenceslas”)
There are a lot of kings involved in the history of Christmas: The holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, also known as the “king of kings” to adherents. And the three wise men, magi, or “we three kings of orient are” bring the baby Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So, who’s this other king, and why is he so good? The song, written in the 1850s, is about the once well-known European folk tale of Wenceslas, a 10th century Czech duke who sets out amid a winter storm on the day after Christmas (“on the Feast of Stephen,” a Christian saint) to deliver aid to his poor subjects, mostly because that’s what Christmas is all about. Religious groups devoted to him sprung up in the decades after his death—so much so that after his death Wenceslas was conferred the title of “king” by Otto I, emperor of Rome.
What’s figgy pudding? (“We Wish You a Merry Christmas”)
At first, the singers in “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” are all about selfless good cheer. It is they who wish us a merry Christmas, and a happy new year. Then they’ve got us comfortable and relaxed…and then go in for the kill, and demand some figgy pudding. Not only do they “all want some figgy pudding,” but they also “won’t go until” they get some, and demand that you “bring it right here.” Fortunately, as this song dates to the 1800s, when having some figgy pudding around during Christmastime was pretty commonplace. The song preserves the notion of the Christmas sweet being called figgy pudding, but the same dish persists today as Christmas pudding or plum pudding. It first gained popularity in England way back in the 16th century—figgy pudding is a steamed dessert consisting of batter, dried fruits, and alcohol. It’s kind of like that American Christmas staple: fruitcake.