Christmas Eve Traditions

 

Christmas Eve is on December 24 and marks the culmination of the Advent period before Christmas that starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Eve. Many churches mark the end of Advent with midnight church services. During modern times, it is popularly celebrated on the night before Christmas Day.

The tradition of celebrating Christmas Eve derives partly from Christan liturgy starting at sunset, which is inherited from Jewish tradition and based on the Book of Genesis’s Story of Creation, saying the first day starts in the evening and ends in the morning. It is also believed that Jesus, or Jesus of Nazareth, was born at midnight in the region of Palestine. Many historical conceptions on ancient traditions contributed to the development of eve celebrations, which persisted in the early Christian calendar.

Christmas Eve marks the end of the Advent season, the period of preparation for Christmas, which begins on November 30, or November 15 in the East. It was on this night that the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks outside Bethlehem saw the bright star in the sky that signaled the birth of Jesus Christ. This is why many churches have services beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. From the 12th to the 15th century, due to the Holy Inquisition, Christian traditions were made mandatory. During the 16th century, the church was influenced by the Winter Solstice celebrations and began Christmas preparations the night prior.

In many parts of Europe, people believe that at midnight on Christmas Eve, animals briefly possess the power of speech. It might have been the traditional association of the ox and the donkey in the Nativity scene that gave rise to such superstitions, but the concept of talking animals is probably pagan in origin. A closely related belief, widespread in England and Europe, is that cattle rise in their stalls at midnight on Christmas Eve, or kneel to worship the Christ child.

Despite its Christian significance, there are a number of pagan and supernatural beliefs connected with Christmas Eve. In Scandinavian countries, it is believed that the dead revisit their former homes on Christmas Eve. People make sure that their parlors are tidy and that a good fire is burning before they go to bed. They often light candles, set the table, and leave out plenty of food for their ghostly visitors. They also make sure that the seats of their chairs have been dusted. When they get up in the morning, they wipe the chairs again with a clean white towel. If they find any dirt on the seat, it means that a relative fresh from the grave sat there during the night.

The Bible does not clearly answer this question. Evidently, the first Christians didn’t make a point of celebrating the birth of Christ. If they knew the precise date of his birth, they didn’t make an issue of it. One writer notes that various leaders in the early church suggested the following dates for Jesus’ birth: January 2, January 6, March 21, March 25, April 18, April 19, May 20, May 28, November 17. All we can take from this is that the precise date was hidden and unknown to them even though they were much closer to the historical event than we are.

The traditional date of December 25 goes back as far as A.D. 273. Two pagan festivals honoring the sun were also celebrated on that day and it is possible that December 25 was chosen to counteract the influence of paganism. To this day some people feel uncomfortable with Christmas because they think it is somehow tainted by the pagan festivals held on that day. But Christians have long believed that the gospel not only transcends culture, it also transforms it. In A.D. 320 one theologian answered this criticism by noting, “We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of him who made it.”

Having said that, you may ask, “Does it really matter?” In one sense, of course, the answer is no. No doctrine of the Christian faith rests upon knowing the exact day and year of Christ’s birth. And no stress is put upon the date of his birth in the New Testament. No one is ever told to celebrate Christmas. The emphasis always rests on the fact of his birth, not the date. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Christianity is a faith based on certain historical facts. Let us on this Christmas Eve rejoice in this great truth:

Origins of Christmas Eve

For centuries, Christmas was celebrated not as a single day, but as a whole season in parts of the world, beginning with this day, December 24, Christmas Eve. Perhaps the practice of celebrating the evening before the big day is an echo from ancient Jewish reckoning. Among earlier Jews, a day began at six in the evening and ran until six the following evening. Had not Moses written: "An evening and a morning were the first day"?

Christmas means "Christ-mass." Although the date is a guess, the tradition of observing it goes back to at least the fourth century. Under the influence of the church, Christian traditions replaced pagan solstice festivals throughout Europe. Often the more innocent pagan practices (such as bringing in a Yule log, decorating with holly and the like) were carried over into the Christmas observance, transfigured with new meaning.

Christmas Eve Traditions

Christmas Eve (the evening before Christmas day) was then celebrated with roaring fires, story-telling, feasting, drinking, dancing, and sometimes clowning. Sir Walter Scott described its festive air in a poem:

On Christmas Eve, the bells were rung;
On Christmas Eve, the mass was sung.
...
The damsel donned her kirtle sheen,
the hall was dressed with holly green;
...
All hail'd with uncontroll'd delight,
And general voice the happy night
That to the cottage, as the crown,
Brought tidings of salvation down.

 

The History of Christmas Eve

Things weren't always so pleasant, however. On Christmas Eve, 1521, with the Reformation gaining steam in Germany, crowds rioted in Wittenberg. Against the orders of Elector Frederick, Andreas Carlstadt had given them both the bread and wine at mass. Zealous for more "reformation," the mob smashed church lamps, sang ridiculous songs to drown out the choir and intimidated the priests.

Luther is supposed to have cut the first Christmas tree. The story may be apocryphal, but we know that on Christmas Eve, 1538, he was in a jolly mood, singing and talking about the incarnation. Then he sighed, saying, "Oh, we poor men, that we should be so cold and indifferent to this great joy which has been given us."

Despite Luther's lament, others would make warm memories on Christmas Eve. In his memoirs, Sir John Reresby told how he invited his poor tenants for a feast on Christmas Eve, 1682. During World War I, the famous Christmas Truce began for many troops on Christmas Eve, 1914, demonstrating the power for good that is inherent in the season.

Portions of this article were adapted from Christmas Eve Then and Now by Dr. Ray Pritchard from Christianity.com

Once In Royal David’s City

From its composer and lyrics to why it can send fear into the hearts of the hardiest boy sopranos, here’s everything you need to know about the timeless Christmas carol ‘Once in Royal David’s City’.

‘Once in Royal David’s City’ originated as a poem, written by the Irish poet Cecil Frances Alexander in 1848. She published it in her hymnbook, Hymns for little Children.

Alexander, who is credited by many as the greatest hymn-writer in the English language, is also remembered for writing ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’.

A year later, an English organist by the name of Henry John Gauntlett discovered the poem and set it to music, creating the beloved Christmas carol we know today.

Once in Royal David’s City” is a song that had humble beginnings, but now holds a place of prominence each year in one particular service that is broadcast around the world by the BBC World Service and American Public Media.

The carol is the opening processional hymn for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols held on Christmas Eve at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge in England. This has been the tradition since 1919.

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols was first held on Christmas Eve 1918, following World War I, which ended on November 11, 1918. A change in the order of service made the following year, including a rearrangement of the lessons, led to the service beginning with the hymn “Once in Royal David’s City.”

As the choir proceeds up the nave of the magnificent chapel towards the choir stalls and the altar, the first verse of the carol is sung as a solo by a boy chorister. The second verse is sung by the choir, and the congregation joins in the third verse. The arrangement, by Dr. Arthur Henry Mann, the organist at King’s from 1876 and 1929, is beautiful and moving.

According to tradition, the soloist for the first verse is chosen by the choirmaster immediately prior to the service. This is an honor for the individual choirboy and also a blessing because, with such short notice, it gives him little time to become nervous.

The History behind “Once in Royal David’s City”

“Once in Royal David’s City” was written as a poem by Cecil Frances Alexander.

Alexander was born in Dublin, Ireland in April 1818, the third child and second daughter of Major John Humphreys of Norfolk and Elizabeth Frances Reed. She began writing verse in her childhood.

What Is the Significance of These Lyrics?

Knowing this poem was written for children gives sense to the lyrics. “Once” is similar to how a fairy tale starts, as in “Once upon a time.” However, I am sure Alexander never intended for the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth to be thought of as a fairy tale or make-believe.

Other lyrics also seem to be directed at children and educating them in their behavior: “Christian children all must be/ Mild, obedient, good as He” and “For he is our childhood’s pattern/ Day by day, like us He grew.” Although nowadays we encourage children to behave well and to be good children for their parents, the Victorian era in particular expected children to have impeccable behavior and to be “seen and not heard.”

The verses, or stanzas, also suit the hymn being used as a processional carol, as used in the service at King’s College Cambridge. With: “Once in Royal David’s city/ Stood a lowly cattle shed” to “We shall see Him; but in heaven/ Set at God’s right hand on high.”  The verses lead those listening from the baby in the manger in the opening lines to the magnificence of Jesus in heaven set at God’s right hand in the final verse.

Some critics have found the last verse too sentimental, and omit it. Others have attempted to rewrite the end of verse three saying it is “neither real or psychologically sound.” Thus changing “Christian children all must be/ Mild, obedient, good as he” to: “Yet this child, our Lord and brother/ brought us love for one another.”

Who performs ‘Once in Royal David’s City’?

Traditionally, the first verse of the carol is sung a cappella by a boy soprano – now more often a female soprano soloist – before the full choir and organ join in for the second verse.

Since 1919, the Choir of King’s College Cambridgehas used ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ as its opening carol for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.

The service takes place in the historic King’s College Chapel Cambridge on Christmas Eve at 3pm each year and is broadcast live on UK radio.

Every year one boy is chosen on the day, seconds before they’re supposed to sing, as the soloist. As is legend, the choirmaster points at his chosen singer as the broadcast starts. Talk about the nightmare before Christmas...

What are the lyrics to ‘Once in Royal David’s City’?

Once in Royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

And through all His wondrous childhood
He would honour and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

For he is our childhood’s pattern; 
Day by day, like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.

God rest ye Merry Gentlemen

 God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" is a traditional English Christmas carol. It is also known as "Tidings of Comfort and Joy", the phrase that ends each stanza of the lyrics. This carol is an affirmation of the birth and salvation in Christ, recounting His nativity event and the love of God.

The hymn is one of the oldest known Christmas carols.

Over the centuries, times and meanings have changed.  The song we sing today does not have the same meaning that it did to the English peasants in the 15th Century.

In the 15th Century church, songs of joy and happiness were allowed.  The songs were somber and usually written in Latin.

The people counteracted this by singing Christmas songs in the streets.  The nightwatchmen are said to sing God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen as they walked the streets of London.

In the Middle Ages the word “merry” meant great and mighty.  The word “rest” meant keep or make at this time.  So, the nightmen were really saying, “God make you mighty, gentlemen.”

Think back through history, and how England was known as “Merry old England” at the time this song originated.

Soldiers were told to eat and drink because tomorrow they would conquer hence the term “eat, drink and be merry”.

Ace Collins wrote ““God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’s” lyrics reveal that the song’s unknown writer knew the story of Jesus’ birth well. He included the high points of the gospel throughout the carol’s verses. The writer also fully understood the power of Christ and what His arrival meant to all who embraced it.”

While the song is believed to originate back to the 15th Century, evidence is lacking.  The first broadsheet of the song was published around 1760 in London.

Charles Dickens referenced the song in his classic A Christmas Carol.  “… at the first sound of ‘God bless you, merry gentlemen! May nothing you dismay!’, Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost.”

Wikipedia says the song is a Roud Folk Song and part of the Roxburghe Collection.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen has been a traditional Christmas carol since the mid-18th Century.  This may be due to Queen Victoria’s love for carols, which found their way into the Anglican Church and soon spread to America and Europe.  The upbeat melody also helped to keep the popularity of the song alive.

So, God keep you mighty, Gentlemen!

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” The story behind the Carol

Choir of Kings College 

 The Christmas carol, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, is one of the very few that doesn’t actually mention the birth of the Savior. The life of the author will help us see why the message of the angels is more the focus of this beloved carol. 

Edmund Sears, a pastor in Wayland, Massachusetts, wrote the poem in 1849 after suffering a breakdown. Sears was experiencing a time of sadness with the revolution in Europe and the war with Mexico in the U.S., he saw everything around him as full of “sin and strife”.  The hymn below was printed in the Christian Register, a Boston paper published on December 29, 1849. The third stanza, which we rarely see, shows how worried Edmund Sears was about the world situation. 

“But with the woes of sin and strife

The world has suffered long;

Beneath the angel-strain have rolled

Two thousand years of wrong;

And man, at war with man, hears not

The love-song, which they bring:

O hush the noise, ye men of strife,

And hear the angels sing!”

Surely Edmund Sears would be worried about the state of affairs in the world today! This past year of 2022 has brought us so much uncertainty that when November rolled around, (or even before!) many were already decorating their homes for Christmas! People would post on social media pictures of their Christmas trees and lights and say, “Why not!” 

We are also facing (about to use my least favorite and overused word of the last couple of years) unprecedented and perilous times. It seems anything goes when it comes to finding a reason to celebrate or bring life to a dark world. 

This season of Christmas, full of hope, reminds us all of the Savior that was born so long ago. He didn’t stay in the manger, but gave His very life for YOU and me and one day soon we will reign with Him and the “whole world give back the song which now the angels sing”. 

There was much to be hopeful for then, the angels were bringing a message of good cheer! Be prayerful and ask God to put someone in your path to share this Good News: There is much to be hopeful for NOW…Jesus Christ is about to return for His Bride, the Church. For lo, the days are hastening on!

 It came upon the midnight clear,
    That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
    To touch their harps of gold;
“Peace on the earth, good will to men
    From heaven’s all-gracious King” –
The world in solemn stillness lay
    To hear the angels sing.

2. Still through the cloven skies they come
    With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
    O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
    They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o’er its Babel-sounds
    The blessed angels sing.

3. But with the woes of sin and strife
    The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
    Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
    The love song which they bring; –
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
    And hear the angels sing!

4. And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
    Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
    With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
    Come swiftly on the wing; –
Oh, rest beside the weary road
    And hear the angels sing!

5. For lo! the days are hastening on
    By prophet bards foretold,
When, with the ever circling years
    Shall come the age of gold;
When Peace shall over all the earth,
    Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song,
    Which now the angels sing.

May you find peace in Jesus even though the world around us is in crazy chaos. Rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing.

Source : Hopeinthehealing.com

What Child Is This , Christmas Carol

“What Child Is This?” is a famous and traditional Christmas carol crafted in 1865. The lyrics were composed by William Chatterton Dix, the son of a surgeon residing in Bristol, England. William spent most of his life as a businessman in Glasgow, Scotland, working at the managerial level of the Maritime Insurance Company. He was greatly enticed by traditional English folk songs. And when he started writing the lyrics for “What Child Is This?,” he decided to utilize the melody of “Greensleeves” to create the carol. It is his most memorable and famous creation to date.

Origin

In 1865, William was 29 years old when he suffered from a near-fatal bout of sickness. He was afflicted with severe depression, and this near-death experience changed him completely. While undergoing recovery, he experienced a spiritual awakening that inspired him to start crafting hymns. He became an avid reader of the Bible, subsequently wrote the lyrics of “What Child Is This?,” and incorporated the tune of the celebrated English folk song, “Greensleeves.”

Greensleeves was already one of the most aesthetic and beloved melodies of the festive season at that time. Although it’s not a quintessential Christmas tune, its association with the festive season can be dated back to 1642. It was paired back then with Waits’ carol titled, “The Old Year Now Away is Fled.” Also, William Shakespeare refers to this popular tune twice in his famous play - “Merry Wives of Windsor.” 

William Chatterton Dix

His affiliation with the church is vivid through his hymns, which were subsequently published in “A Vision of All Saints,” “Verses on the Holy Eucharist,” and “Altar Songs.” Around Christmas of 1865, he also crafted the poem titled “The Manger Throne.” Then, he crafted other popular hymns like “As With Gladness Men of Old” and “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!” According to expert hymnologists, Dix’s hymns are imaginative, reverent, and simple, yet borderline sentimental. They have always proved to be considerably sincere to their roots. 

Analysis 

The lyrics were inspired by one of William’s verses titled “The Manger Throne.” It urges humanity to accept Christ. The eloquent melody is haunting, and its beautiful essence reiterates the “Adoration of the Shepherds” who paid a visit to Jesus during the nativity. The lyrics pose questions that reflect what the shepherds might be pondering about during the encounter and subsequently offers a response to such questions. 

The first stanza is heavily influenced by his contemporary romantic poets and flirts ceremoniously along the edges of emotionalism. The carol starts with a rhetorical question, condensing the concept of childbirth within a single paragraph. The poet has successfully painted a classic picture of the nativity - the child Christ sleeping on mother Mary’s lap, as the angels and shepherds provide the background score with “Anthems Sweet” and “Watch and Keep” respectively.       

The second stanza offers a momentary reference to “mean estate,” or less than an ideal condition. The poet registers similarity with the first stanza with another rhetorical question. He wonders why the child Christ should be displayed in such a humble environment. The poet tries to decipher the answer analytically,  and reasons that the “mean estate” that refers to the birth of Christ has its roots entangled with his future sufferings. The second stanza alludes to the anguish and distress of Christ's future.     

The poet utilizes the final stanza to expand the emphasis on the people attending the humble scene. He draws inspiration from the Epiphany season and focuses on the metaphorical gifts that are being bought for the infant. His setting flouts the conventional structure of time quite comprehensively, like everyone, starting from the “king” or the “peasant” is offered an equal chance. 

Usage in Popular Culture

“What Child Is This?” was first published in 1871, six years after its origin. It was featured in an influential and prestigious collection of carols in the United Kingdom, titled “Christmas Carols Old and New.” The hymnal was edited by John Stainer and Henry Ramsden Bramley. Stainer was primarily responsible for harmonizing the musical setting. In recent times, the carol has gained quite some popularity in the USA, in spite of its roots being in Great Britain. 

Conclusion

The meaningful lyrics and the soulful melody of the carol evokes a palpable scenario. It gives the feeling that God himself has transformed into the form of man through this baby, and that the Almighty has arrived to rescue humanity. It's a certain and clear sign, which the humans went on to declare with courage and ingenuity. The tribute is fitting, as humans marvel and wonder in amazement the true sense of inevitability, "What child is this?"

Angels We Have Heard on High

 

"Angels we have heard on high” is a song of invitation from Christians to others to come celebrate Christ’s birth with them. The carol begins in a festive spirit, but then, in the second stanza, asks why there is a celebration.  In the third stanza, an invitation to is given to join the celebration.  The fourth stanza concludes the carol with the observation of Christ’s birth and the Christian’s joyful response.

Angels We Have Heard on High commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Luke.  The song focuses on the shepherds encounter with the angels foretelling of the birth of the newborn child.

Reports say that in 129 A.D. Pope Telesphorus ordained that the “Gloria” be sung at the Christmas Eve midnight mass.  The phrase became known as the “Angels Hymn” and considered one of the earliest known Christmas hymns.
The “Gloria” is believed to have inspired the chorus in Angels We Have Heard on High.  The tune is believe to be inspired by an unknown tune that was arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes in the early 1900s. French legend indicates that in medieval times on Christmas Eve, the shepherds would sing and call to one another from one hillside to another.  

“They would call “Gloria in excelsis Deo” which means “glory to God in the highest” in Latin. It was how they would spread their holiday message and cheer from points far away to one another. From hillside to valley, the shepherd’s song must have truly sounded like angels calling to one another in celebration of the birth of Christ for the Christians living in nearby regions. Also, the song reflects the shepherd’s joy that the time of the holiday season has arrived yet again.”

“Angels we have heard on high” is a perfect song to accompany the French tradition of the crèche. Handmade nativity scenes are not only common in homes, but also in town squares. Little clay figures, traditionally made in the south of France, are called “santons” (“little saints”).  Fine craftsmanship characterizes the production of these figures, and they are a source of local pride for the communities that produce them. It is interesting that “crèche” is also the French term for a nursery for young children during the day.

This tradition is particularly strong in Provence, the south of France, with a crèche that includes the Holy Family, the Magi, the shepherds, and the animals, along with additional local figures, such as the mayor, the little drummer boy, or a peasant dressed in traditional attire. In some villages, people dress as the shepherds and join in a procession to the church. Children often contribute to domestic crèches by bringing small stones, moss, and evergreens to complete the scene. Then everyone sings carols!

The tune has also undergone some changes. Austin C. Lovelace harmonized the French carol in 1964. The 1935 Methodist Hymnal uses an earlier harmonization, which is anonymous.  Technically, this is a macaronic carol because it uses two languages: the local vernacular and Latin. The carol uses the effect of a refrain and is one of the few texts that congregations sing regularly in Latin: “Gloria in excelsis Deo!”  It is unusual for congregations to sing a long melisma (many notes on one syllable) and enjoy it.  The melisma on the refrain adds to the joyful, celebratory feel of the entire hymn.