Song: Deck the halls

Got it! This site "creationpie.com" uses cookies. You consent to this by clicking on "Got it!" or by continuing to use this website. Note: This appears on each machine/browser from which this site is accessed.

The carol "Deck the halls" or "Deck the hall" or "'Tis the season" is a traditional Christmas carol with a Welsh melody dating to the 1500's. The English lyrics from 1862 are from the winter carol tune "Nos Galan". Later lyrics from 1877 remove the references to drinking.

The word "'tis" is a contraction of "it is". The phrase "deck of cards" appears to have come from "covering" to "deck on a ship" to a "deck of cards" as being stacked together into a pack.

How does a deck of cards get around?

It shuffles.

The Christmas carol "deck the halls" means to "cover the halls".

The Middle English word "decke" ≈ "deck" as a raised flat surface covering what is underneath.
The German "Decke" ≈ "covering, blanket" and "Dach" ≈ "roof".
The Old English word "thaec" ≈ "roof-covering" and is the source of the English word "thatch".

Related words are the ancient Greek word "στέγη" ≈ "roof, ceiling" source of the word "stegosaurus" and the Latin word "toga" ≈ "toga" from the Latin word "tego" ≈ "cover, clothe, protect".

More: Roofs

A related word is the English word "decorate" from the Latin word "decoro" ≈ "decorate, adorn, embellish".

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,

fa la la la la, la la la. 'Tis the season to be jolly,

fa la la la la, la la la. Don we now our gay apparel,

fa la la la la, la la la. Troll the ancient Yuletide carol,

fa la la la la, la la la.

See the blazing Yule before us,

fa la la la la, la la la. Strike the harp and join the chorus,

fa la la la la, la la la. Follow me in merry measure,

fa la la la la, la la la. While I tell of Yuletide treasure,

fa la la la la, la la la.

Fast away the old year passes,

fa la la la la, la la la. Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,

fa la la la la, la la la. Sing we joyous all together,

fa la la la la, la la la. Heedless of the wind and weather,

fa la la la la, la la la.