This really does go back to my childhood{in the 50s} TV watching. And High School English Lit....and my favorite poet William Wordsworth . Minstrels being closely associated with Medieval feasting and especially Christmas, my little kid mind had many, many questions for those Minstrels to answer.
William Wordsworth wrote a Christmas poem titled “Minstrels”
The minstrels played their Christmas tune
To-night beneath my cottage-eaves;
While, smitten by a lofty moon,
The encircling laurels, thick with leaves,
Gave back a rich and dazzling sheen,
That overpowered their natural green.
Through hill and valley every breeze
Had sunk to rest with folded wings:
Keen was the air, but could not freeze,
Nor check, the music of the strings;
So stout and hardy were the band
That scraped the chords with strenuous hand.
And who but listened?—till was paid
Respect to every inmate’s claim,
The greeting given, the music played
In honour of each household name,
Duly pronounced with lusty call,
And “Merry Christmas” wished to all.
This poem recounts a Christmas tradition where minstrels would travel door to door, playing music and providing wishes for a great Christmas season123.
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In the Middle Ages, there were performers known as “mummers” who would dress up in animal masks or disguise themselves as women, and then go door-to-door singing festive folk songs and telling jokes1. Some mummers did it for fun, while others expected a few coins or small gifts in exchange1.
The tradition of minstrels playing at Christmas time, as mentioned in William Wordsworth’s poem “Minstrels”, likely refers to musicians who would travel and perform music and provide wishes for a great Christmas season. This tradition has evolved over time and varies across different cultures and regions.
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