In 1557 Thomas Tusser published a book on rural customs and agricultural practices in Tudor England, entitled A Hundredth Good Pointes of Husbandrie. In 1573 he expanded the work into Five Hundred Good Pointes of Husbandrie; the book was reprinted many times for over a century. Among his poetical observations were a number of verses on Christmas. Here are a few, showing the attitude of English country folk toward the holiday.
A description of the feast of the birth of Christ, commonly called Christmas.
Of Christ cometh Christmas, the name with the feast,
a time full of joie to the greatest and least :
At Christmas was Christ (our Saviour) borne,
the world through sinne altogether forlorne.
At Christmas the daies doo begin to take length,
of Christ doth religion cheefly take strength.
As Christmas is onely a figure or trope,
so onely in Christ is the strength of our hope.
At Christmas we banquet, the rich with the poore,
who then (but the miser) but openeth his doore –
At Christmas of Christ many Carols we sing,
and give many gifts in the joy of that King.
At Christmas in Christ we reioice and be glad,
as onely of whom our comfort is had ;
At Christmas we joy altogether with mirth,
for his sake that joyed us all with his birth