What is more ‘Christmassy’ than hearing a group of people, or maybe a small brass band, playing traditional Christmas songs on the High Street! It takes us back to our childhood when we would sing Christmas Carols in school, or maybe in church, as we looked forward eagerly to Christmas Day.
But did you know that many of our traditional Christmas Carols have stories behind them – stories of the circumstances which led to them being written, or stories of the challenges or inspiration of the men and women who wrote them.
This Christmas, in our Christmas Services, we will hear more about these stories.
But for there to be so many songs, for there to be so much emphasis on Christmas there has got to be a bigger story behind it all. And there is!
Why not join us to find out more, to discover the true story of Christmas and how it is “good news of great joy for all people” – and yes, that includes you!.
Christmas Songs
Some things you might not know…
Origins
Apparently there are around 10,000 songs about or for Christmas. If we assume that the average song runs takes around 3 and a half minutes to sing, you would need to sing Christmas songs constantly, around the clock if you were to sing them all in the advent days (1st to 24th December) – your voice may not stand up to the task!
The word “carol” wasn’t originally a Christmas idea – the term simply means ‘to dance’ – it indicates that the songs are songs of celebration which we can rejoice in.
The first Christmas song that we know of was introduced around 129AD. This was just 30 years after the death of the last surviving of Jesus’ disciples, John. Telesphorus, who had oversight of the churches in Rome, suggested that “In the holy night of the nativity of our Lord and saviour, all shall solemnly sing the ‘Angel’s Hymn’.” which used the words recorded of the Angels to the Shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests” (Luke 2:14).
An Early English Carol
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
A Carol with a Modern Change
“Away in a Manger” is perhaps one of the most well known Christmas Songs of all time. It was written around 1885. Although many Christmas songs are of European origin, this is an American Christmas Song. It is thought that is was composed by German Lutherans in Pennsylvania.
Most sources note the hymn first appeared as two stanzas in the Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families, This was a collection of helpful material for use as a resource for running Children’s Sunday Schools, published by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America.
Most recently there has been a move to ‘update’ some Christmas Songs whose lyrics appear dated or overly sentimental. In 2020 Phil Wickham introduced the version featured above, which has since become very popular. It points us to the response of our hearts to the gift of Jesus, come to die for our sins:
I worship You Jesus for all of my days
The highest of praises be unto Your name
My God and my Saviour, my King and my Friend
Yours is the glory forever amen
INTERESTED?
Why not join one of our Christmas services to find out more
Can’t get to a Carol Service?
Home for Christmas is a free online video Carol service produced in 2020 that you can watch from home.
The service includes well known Carols, Christmas readings and a short talk from Conference speaker Roger Carswell. It also includes some new songs which are performed for you.
Why not watch here, or use this link:
Starting 22nd January – Register here
Money tight? Or just want to budget better?
CAP Money Course is a free course designed to help you manage your money better, learn to budget, save and spend well.
Our next course starts on 30th Jan, and runs weekly over three evenings. Why not book your place? It’s free!
Christmas is all about the greatest gift that could possibly be given.
It’s a gift that is available to all, a gift that transforms life, and gives life reason and purpose.
It’s a gift that is utterly, totally undeserved, given in immense love, offered to you.
Why not find out more? The4Points explains this gift in more detail.