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Gloucestershire Wassail In the English countryside, each village and region would have their own traditions regarding wassailing. This version is noted as early as 1813 in the Times Telescope. As described in the song, a band of wassailers would take … Continue readingGloucestershire Wassail
In The Bleak Midwinter In 1872, Scribner’s Monthly published a Christmas poem by Christina Rossetti placing the Nativity in a snowy landscape familiar to most American readers. The poem was set to the music of Gustav Holst in the 1906 … Continue readingIn The Bleak Midwinter
Gaudete The title of this song is from the Latin word for “rejoice”. It is thought to have been composed in the 16th Century. Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus Ex Maria virgine, gaudete! Tempus adest gratiæ Hoc quod optabamus, Carmina … Continue readingGaudete
Riu Riu Chiu This charming song is an example of a Spanish villancico expressing themes of the Nativity and rotating around Christmastime. Riu, riu, chiu la guarda ribera / Dios guardó el lobo de nuestra cordera / Dios guardó el … Continue readingRiu Riu Chiu
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 Johann Sebastian Bach composed this oratorio for the Christmas season of 1734. It is presented in six parts pertaining to the Christmas story. Part 1 is about the Birth of Christ. Part 2 is the angelic … Continue readingChristmas Oratorio, BWV 248
The Children’s Friend This poem was published anonymously as a booklet in 1821. Clement Clarke Moore drew from the themes and ideas of this poem to craft his own “Visit from Saint Nicholas”. Old Santeclaus with much delight His reindeer … Continue readingThe Children’s Friend
Xmas Heroes – Parents What would Christmas be without parents? As much as Christmas has become a child-focused affair, it really depends on the parents to bring the magic to the holiday. Having been on both sides of the spectrum, … Continue readingXmas Heroes – Parents
Xmas Heroes – Gayla Peevey The 1950’s were a great time to be a kid. In the wake of the Second World War, America was expressing a new sense of optimism and can-do attitude. Industry that had ramped up to … Continue readingXmas Heroes – Gayla Peevey
Xmas Heroes – Christmas Truce On June 28th of 1914, a Bosnian Serb nationalist assassinated the presumptive heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Due to a mad web of international treaties and cultural obligations, this began a horrendous … Continue readingXmas Heroes – Christmas Truce
Xmas Heroes – Francis Pharcellus Church A child asked a question that is of concern to so many children at one time or another. Virginia O’Hanlon asked her father, who referred her to their favorite newspaper. The family had often … Continue readingXmas Heroes – Francis Pharcellus Church