The very FIRST ‘Merry Christmas’: Historians claim Bishop of Hereford introduced festive phrase in 16th century letter to a colleague… before it became a global season’s greeting
- First time ‘merry Christmas’ was used has been uncovered in 16th century letter
- The letter was sent by Bishop Charles Booth of Hereford Cathedral in 1520
- ‘I praye God ye may be all in good charite and mery this Crystmas,’ the letter says
The festive phrase ‘Merry Christmas‘ was first used by the Bishop of Hereford in the 16th century, historians have discovered.
Experts have discovered the Bishop Charles Booth of Hereford Cathedral wrote a letter to his colleague Canon William Burghill in 1520, saying he hoped he would be merry this Christmas.
The now-famous phrase appeared 14 years before it was previously thought the words were first used in Britain.
The letter was unearthed as the library and archiving team at Hereford Cathedral researched festive facts on Monday.
‘I praye God ye may be all in good charite and mery this Crystmas’: The festive phrase ‘Merry Christmas’ was first used by the Bishop of Hereford in the 16th century, historians have discovered
Experts have discovered the Bishop of Hereford Charles Booth wrote a letter to his colleague Canon William Burghill in 1520, saying he hoped he would be merry this Christmas. Pictured: Hereford Cathedral
The letter opens with: ‘I praye God ye may be all in good charite and mery this Crystmas’.
Elizabeth Semper O’Keefe, archivist at the cathedral, said: ‘Maybe we were trendsetters?’
‘The greeting “Merry Christmas” was believed to date back to at least 1534.’
In a letter to Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII’s chief minister, Bishop John Fisher of Rochester wrote: ‘And this our Lord God send you a merry Christmas’.
The tomb of Bishop Charles Booth, who is believed to have written the first ever ‘merry Christmas’
Ms O’Keefe said the letter written by Bishop Booth – who died in 1535 – more than a decade earlier ‘does seem to be an unknown fact’.
The Cathedral said the letter discusses various matters including a priest who had committed acts of incontinency (meaning lack of self-control, usually involving a woman, rather than lack of bladder control).
The letter also discussed a man called Middleton who was forbidden to keep company with his aunt except at church or market – but not the Bishop did not explain why.
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