First Sunday of Advent

     Blow, blow thou winter wind—
     Thou art not so unkind
          As man's ingratitude!
     Thy tooth is not so keen,
     Because thou art not seen,
          Although thy breath be rude.
Heigh ho! sing heigh ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly.
     Then heigh ho! the holly!
     This life is most jolly!
     Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky—
     Thou dost not bite so nigh
          As benefits forgot!
     Though thou the waters warp,
     Thy sting is not so sharp
          As friend remembered not.
Heigh ho! sing heigh ho! unto the green holly,
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly.
     Then heigh ho, the holly!
     This life is most jolly!

                                            . . . . . . . . . . . William Shakespeare, "The Song of the Holly"

"Tradition bestowed a holy status on the holly long before the birth of Christ. It is said that it was a holly bush from which God spoke to Moses.

"Many legends speak of holly and its association with Jesus. One ancient story is that wherever Jesus walked, holly grew out of his footprints; witnessing this miraculous growth, the animals vowed never to disturb the holy plant."

November 27 is the earliest day that the first Sunday of Advent can fall upon. Early in the Christian calendar, Advent lasted 40 days, similar to Lent, and began on November 15, although some churches counted Martinmas (November 11) as the first day of Advent.