‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ is a traditional English Christmas carol of unknown origin that is believed to date from the 16th century. It was sung by children in Victorian times as they went about performing carols door to door on Christmas Eve, hoping for sweet rewards. Often, it would be a ‘figgy pudding’ which was similar to today’s Christmas pudding.
The carol tells of ‘good tidings to you and your kin’: a sentiment that is echoed today, wishing each other well as we think about the good news of Jesus’ coming to earth in human form to carry out God’s plan of reconciling us into His kingdom.