Some Fun With Classic Holiday Carols
As one favorite holiday song goes: “Deck the halls with boughs of holly!” It is that festive time of year where you bring out the greenery, presents, candy, and fun! One of the most wonderful parts of the holidays is those classic carols. These play every year on our radios, television sets, streaming devices, and in shopping centers. We can never get too much of these holiday favorites that stretch on and on, each in their multitudes of versions. Let’s have some fun exploring some of the deeper niceties in a few of these holiday classics.
Over Twelve Days, What a Truckload of Gifts!
If you count the number of gifts mentioned in the classic melody The Twelve Days of Christmas, you get 78 gifts given over 12 days! Wow, what a hefty truckload. But what would the total number of gifts be if you take into account the repeat of gifts over the twelve days(i.e. one partridge in a pear tree each day, two turtledoves each day, etc.)? You would have 364 gifts! Sources tag modern price tags on these gifts anywhere from $105,000 to over $200,000! How can one afford such a holiday season? “Yes, get the gift giving over with in just a day or two,” many cash-strapped, inflation-tired consumers of today will say. But generally the song has referred to the traditional Christian calendar between the birth of Jesus on December 25 and the arrival of the wise men on January 6. If you celebrate this span of time with family and friends and remember what is of utmost importance, you may actually find riches beyond a truckload of expensive gifts.
Up On the Housetop With Good Saint Nick!
Imagine it is the year 1864 in the United States. Citizens torn apart by the Civil War and economic hardships gather for the holidays at a local charity event. They are enchanted by a children’s chorus singing an early version of Up on the Housetop. Composed by the struggling pastor Benjamin Hanby, the song hits the charts in just a couple of years and is recognized as one of the only traditional melodies featuring Saint Nick. The classic poem The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore had come out in 1822. Sadly, Mr. Hanby passed away shortly after the song’s release at just the age of 33. However, he did compose over 80 songs in his life and he certainly lives on through this classic carol.
An Additional 19th Century Classic From Unexpected Origins
Jingle Bells was originally composed as The One Horse Open Sleigh by James Lord Pierpont in 1857. The song was intended to be sung at Thanksgiving as winter struck, or as a favorite drinking song. Pierpont was an American musician, songwriter, and arranger. He also lost his business and resources in the California Gold Rush and later served in the U.S. military during the Civil War. Although Pierpont experienced many failures and hardships, his classic holiday hit has never stopped inspiring countless millions. Pierpont also composed or arranged numerous other songs, some that were adapted by the likes of famous musicians like Bob Dylan.
Classic Holiday Hymns Brought a Temporary Truce In World War I
Numerous accounts retold the miracle of temporary peace. During Christmas 1914, German and British troops started singing classic carols in their own languages from the World War I battlefield trenches. These included Oh Come All Ye Faithful and Silent Night. Soldiers on both sides came out and soon started exchanging gifts, partaking in celebrations, and even playing soccer. The time allowed for soldiers to be buried. Occurrences of the truce were widespread but not universal, and fighting soon started after the temporary pause. But certainly for at least a little while the Christmas and holiday promises of infinite peace, love, and mercy were in the air. The lyrics of Silent Night capturing the sacred present in the world were undoubtedly reenacted: “silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.”
So here are some deeper insights and tidbits behind many of the classic holiday carols. We may often get tired of these scores clouding retail speakers, radio stations, and digital streams. Some songs probably should be restricted or played sparingly. For instance, Wham’s 1984 hit Last Christmas probably should have been released with strict provisions to only be played every few years. Each year, the singer laments how they gave their heart away and lost it but will not do that again this year, only to be commiserating about the same conondrum the next year! What a vicious loop! However, the holiday classics also reveal the deeper moral and spiritual principles celebrated by the season and help listeners to connect more deeply to what is sacred at the heart of things. What are your favorite classic holiday songs, and what new messages or lessons do they teach you this year?
