"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a popular secular sixteenth-century English carol from the West Country of England. The origin of this Christmas carol lies in the English tradition where wealthy people of the community gave Christmas treats to the carolers on Christmas Eve such as "figgy puddings" that were very much like modern day Christmas puddings. It is one of the few traditional holiday carols that makes mention of the New Year celebration. The simple chorus and holiday greetings have made it a popular finale to many holiday specials over the years.
Lyrics
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year
[Chorus]
Good tidings we bring, to you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas, and a Happy New Year
Oh bring us some figgy pudding
Oh bring us some figgy pudding
Oh bring us some figgy pudding
And bring it right here
[Chorus]
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
So bring some right here
[Chorus]
[First verse repeated]
Appearances in Christmas specials
- Christmas at Pooh Corner
- Thomas, the Tank Engine, and Friends: "Thomas' Christmas Party"
- The Jetsons: "A Jetson Christmas Carol" - The Jetsons sing the song at the very end of the episode.
- Disney Sing Along Songs: Very Merry Christmas Songs
- A Muppet Family Christmas - The Muppets from The Muppet Show and Sesame Street sing this song as the special's closing number.
- Barney and the Backyard Gang: "Waiting for Santa"
- Home Alone (1990)
- Back to the Future: "Dickens of a Christmas"
- Wee Sing The Best Christmas Ever!
- Disney's Christmas Fantasy on Ice - (instrumental)
- Disney Sing Along Songs: The Twelve Days of Christmas
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- A Goof Troop Christmas: Have Yourself a Goofy Little Christmas - Goofy sings the song as he's setting up his Christmas decorations in Asprin, disturbing Pete's sleep in the process.
- "A Christmas Plotz" - At the beginning of this Animaniacs segment, a group of carolers sing it at the Warner Bros. studio until an annoyed Thaddeus Plotz throws a fruitcake at them.
- Alpha's Magical Christmas
- "I'm Dreaming Of A White Ranger"
- Jingle All the Way
- "Merry Christmas, Kenan"
- Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas
- Barney's Night Before Christmas
- "Don't Be Elfish"
- Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas
- Barney's Christmas Star
- Babies in Toyland
- Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
- Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation! - In the special, Dr. Doofenshmirtz gets a visit from a group of carolers singing the song. When they get to the verses demanding he bring them some figgy pudding, Doofenshmirtz takes umbrage at this and fires up his Naughty-inator. Later, it is covered by Sal Tuscany, included on Perry's A Sal Tuscany Christmas CD, which Doofenshmirtz starts playing himself.
- "Gift of the Dinos"
- "A Phineas and Ferb Family Christmas" - The whole cast sings the version from the Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites album as the closing number.
- "White Christmas Blues"
- "A Very Tanner Christmas"
- "A Cranky Christmas" - The song is sung briefly twice, though "happy" in the lyric "And a Happy New Year" is changed both times, first by Salty singing "And a Salty New Year", then by Cranky singing "And a Cranky New Year".
Album releases
Versions with the original lyrics
Versions with alternate lyrics
| Album | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (album) | 1979 | The song gets interrupted twice - when Gonzo sings "Now bring us some figgy pudding", Miss Piggy stops him, thinking he said "piggy pudding". He corrects her saying it's made of figs before adding "and bacon" under his breath. John Denver also has to calm down Animal when they get to "We won't go until we get some". |
| Ren & Stimpy's Crock O' Christmas | 1993 | As "We Wish You a Hairy Chestwig". This version was later included on the 1997 album Nick at Nite: A Classic Cartoon Christmas, Too. |
| Pokémon Christmas Bash | 2001 | Sung as part of the "Pokémon Christmas Medley". |
| Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites | 2010 | At the time of this album's release, the Disney Channel and Disney XD ran a music video of this song, set to clips from episodes of the show (including Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!) and some newly-made animation. This version of the song was also featured at the end of "A Phineas and Ferb Family Christmas". |
| Annoying Orange Presents: Christmas in the Kitchen | 2012 | While most of the original lyrics exist, Orange interrupts the third verse (which is actually the second verse in this version) to ask what they are getting, and after Midget Apple sings the first two lines of the chorus, Orange sings "Even if you are stuck inside a pickle jar", annoying the others before they all sing the first verse normally and twice. |
| It's a Pony Kind of Christmas | 2015 | Sung by Twilight Sparkle, with different lyrics. |