The Copper family of Sussex also sing a song called Christmas Song or The Trees Are All Bare.
The discussion in that thread brings up the original, 'Winter', by Thomas Brerewood, published 1783, and again the version which has been weathered by the tradition is better, to modern ears at least. 'Peasant inactive' sounds like a grammatical term.

The Sussex source singer George Townsend also had a version of this song. It is on the CD 'Come Hand To Me The Glass'. I can lend you a copy, Natasha.

Valmai