Two e-mails, just received from friends in Europe, reminded me that the number of days of Christmas that we celebrate really depends on what we are celebrating.
 
The first of my friends, an Englishman who, like most of his compatriots, is not particularly religious, finished his e-mail with the wish that I might have a happy New Year. For this non-religious friend, Christmas is already over. At the same time, I received an e-mail from Tom Källene, a Norwegian living in Madrid who will be known to visitors to the Ink Desk as an occasional contributor to this site. Tom is a convert to the Faith and shares my love for the heritage of Catholic Europe. He wrote to say that he and his wife were hosting an old friend, a Welshman, ex-British army, which was giving their Christmas a distinctly British-feel: Mince pies, cheddar cheese, malt whisky and cigars. “All to celebrate that Christ is born,” as Tom put it.
 
Tom then mentioned that “In the Bleak Midwinter” was possibly his favourite Christmas carol of all time.  
I already knew that Tom and I were kindred spirits and was not surpised to discover his predilection for malt whisky. What was a very pleasant surprise was the discovery that his favourite Christmas carol was the same as mine. I have always loved Christina Rossetti’s evocative Pre-Raphaelite hymn to the Christ Child and was delighted when it was sung at the Christmas Mass which I attended with my family in South Carolina.
Although “In the Bleak Midwinter” is probably  my overall favourite, other Christmas favourites include “The Holly and the Ivy”, full of the mediaeval jollity of Merrie England, and “The Cherry Tree Carol”, another ancient song. Regarding the latter, I especially recommend the recorded versions by Judy Collins or by the excellent Jacobite Scottish folk group, the Corries: