Carol Singing
 Caroling (singing carols in the street) is one of the oldest customs in Great Britain, going back to the Middle Ages when beggars, seeking food, money, or drink, would wander the streets singing holiday songs.
In the Middle Ages, carols were dances accompanied by singing. It is thought that they were introduced to England from France.
The word carol comes from the ancient Greek 'choros', which means "dancing in a circle," and from the Old French word 'carole', meaning "a song to accompany dancing." Over the years, the word 'carol' changed its meaning, referring only to certain kinds of songs, the word carol became known as Christmas songs.
Christmas carols were banned between 1647 and 1660 in England by Oliver Cromwell who thought that Christmas should be a solemn day.
The traditional period to sing carols was from St Thomas's Day (December 21) until the morning of Christmas Day.
Many people believe there is a link between Carol Singing and Wassailing.
 What is Wassail?
Wassail is an ale-based drink seasoned wih spices and honey. It was served from huge bowls, often made of wood, silver or pewter. The Wassail bowl would be passed around with the greeting, 'Wassail'.
Where does the name Wassail come from?
Wassail gets its name from the Old English term 'waes hael', meaning 'be well'. It was a Saxon custom that, at the start of each year, the lord of the manor would should 'waes hael'. The assembled crowd would reply 'drinc hael', meaning 'drink and be healthy'.
 As time went on, the tradition was carried on by people going from door to door, bearing good wishes and a wassail bowl of hot, spiced ale. In return people in the houses gave them drink, money and Christmas fare (special foods eaten during Christmas time e.g. mince pies) and they believed they would receive good luck for the year to come.
The contents of the bowl varied in different parts of the country, but a popular one was known as lambs wool. It consisted of ale, baked apples, sugar, spices, eggs and cream served with little pieces of bread or toast. It was the bread floating on top that made it look like lambs wool.
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Pantomimes
History of Pantomimes
Originally silent productions, which explains the word 'mime' in the name, the pantomimes are a mix of fairy stories, folk tales and much loved cartoons, which encourage audience participation. The audience becomes very involved in the performance, with lots of hissing and booing of the villain and cheering for the hero. Some pantomimes include a song for the audience to join in with, and others invite children up on stage to chat to one of the performers.
 Pantomimes in South Wales:
If you know of a pantomime near you that we're not talking about, then get in touch in the usual ways!
Why do we visit pantomimes at Christmas?
The origins of the pantomimes lie in the old Christmas mummers plays presented by an all male casts in the great halls of manor houses.
What are Mummers Plays?
 Mummers' Plays have been performed in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland for hundreds of years. They are folk dramas often based on the legend of St. George and the Seven Champions of Christendom. They were originally mime or dumb shows (Thus mummers from the Middle English word mum, meaning silent.) where all the performers were disguised and known as 'Guisers'. All the characters were played by men who kept the same part for many years. Eventually, dialogue was added, but was passed on by word-of-mouth. Consequently, the 'Chinese Whispers' effect over the centuries and the loss of the real significance of the original story, makes present day performances very entertaining but virtually meaningless to most audiences.
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