"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a popular secular sixteenth-century English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 carol

Carol (music)

A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character....

 from the West Country

West Country

The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...

 of England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The origin of this Christmas carol lies in the English tradition where wealthy people of the community gave Christmas treats to the carolers on Christmas Eve such as 'figgy puddings

Figgy pudding

Figgy pudding is a pudding resembling something like a white Christmas pudding containing figs. The pudding may be baked, steamed in the oven, boiled or fried.The history of figgy pudding dates back to 16th century England...

' that were very much like modern day Christmas pudding

Christmas pudding

Christmas pudding is a pudding traditionally served on Christmas Day . It has its origins in medieval England, and is sometimes known as plum pudding or plum duff, though this can also refer to other kinds of boiled pudding involving dried fruit.-Basics:Many households have their own recipe for...

s. It is one of the few English traditional carols that makes mention of the New Year

New Year

The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....

celebration.

Lyrics

Version 1:
We wish you a Merry Christmas (x3)

and a Happy New Year.


REFRAIN
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Now! bring us some figgy pudding (x3)

and bring some out here.


REFRAIN
For we all like figgy pudding (x3)

so bring some out here.


REFRAIN
And we won't go until we've got some (x3)

so bring some out here.


REFRAIN
It's a season for music (x3)

and a time of good Cheer.


REFRAIN

(Some versions print the refrain as "Glad tidings" instead of "Good tidings')


Version 2:
We wish you a Merry Christmas (x3)

and a Happy New Year.


REFRAIN
Good tidings to you, where ever you are

Good Tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year


(The first line of the refrain can also be rendered as "Good tidings we bring, to you and to yours")

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding (x3)

and a cup of good cheer


REFRAIN
We won't go until we get some, (x3)

so bring it right here


REFRAIN
We wish you a Merry Christmas (x3)

and a Happy New Year


REFRAIN

Modern variations of the refrain include:

Be near or be far, Where ever you are, We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

For family, for friends, For peace among men (without end), We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The joy of his birth, brings peace upon earth, We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The young and the old, their stories are told, We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!