Jolly isn’t a word we use much these days and it’s synonyms aren’t used much either: merry, for example, is used mainly to say “Merry Christmas” and not much else. Other synonyms are cheerful, happy, jovial, fun turbulent. You get the idea.
What strikes me as interesting is that, according to this song, there is a season for it – a season for being jolly. Is there a season to be “un-jolly” – sad or even morose? I don’t mean to be nit-picky but let’s just take a look and let our thoughts ramble through this.
Can you remember times when you were supposed to be sad (whether you are or not) and times when you’re supposed to be happy (again, whether you are or not)? We can all think of them.
Funerals are at the top of the list of times when we should feel sad. But, realistically, can’t they also be celebrations of life? When I die, I want my family and friends to have a party, celebrating my graduation to the “other side.” I have had a great life – sometimes like a roller coaster gone crazy – but still a great life. As I get older my body is less cooperative and won’t do all the things my mind thinks up and it will be a relief, of sorts, to let this body go. I believe that the energy that is me doesn’t die when my body does so I think I will be celebrating at the time. The sadness at funerals is for ourselves – that we have to be here without that person we loved so much. That is real and very painful and I in no way intend to minimize it. But wouldn’t they want you to celebrate who they were and what they accomplished? It is something to think about.
We are expected to be “jolly” when we reach some milestones – graduations, promotions, marriage, childbirth, retirement. In fact these may be times that we’re scared out of our wits. They are endings of one part of our life that had probably become comfortable and beginnings of another adventure into the unknown. We put on a happy face and celebrate when we really want to run away and find a place to “just be” for a while, giving ourselves a chance to regroup.
We are expected to be “jolly” at Christmas, aren’t we? That’s what this song says. Why? The song doesn’t say. The song, Deck the Halls, tells us to put on our good clothes, put up decorations, sing and be jolly – even if it’s cold - because of the gifts of Christmas and because the “old year is ending and a new one is about to begin. Here it is without all the fa, la las – see for yourself:
Deck the Halls
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
‘Tis the season to be jolly
Don we now our gay apparel.
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol.
See the blazing Yule before us.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Follow me in merry measure.
While I tell of Yuletide treasure.
Fast away the old year passes.
Hail the new ye lads and lasses
Sing we joyous all together.
Heedless of the wind and weather.
It’s a happy song, one that we sing without really noticing what we’re singing about. We do that with a lot of things actually – put our mind on automatic pilot while our mouths continue on without us.
Today, you might give some thought to the times you are expected to feel and be a certain way. How can you be authentic and still be in tune with the occasion?
