Merry Christmas!

In This Issue 

ORIGINS of Your Favorite CHRISTMAS SONGS

 Newly Expanded – The stories behind who wrote 62 of your

favorite holiday classics

>>We hear them every year. Most, we know all the words to and have sung since we were children. Christmas songs have become so ingrained in our memory that we never think about or wonder how they came to be such a natural part of the Christmas season.

>>It’s an interesting mix of traditional hymns from the middle ages to pop songs from America’s favorite singers.

>>We dug down deep to find how 58 of the most beloved songs came to be such a major and emotional part of our personal lives and culture, adding a few new ones each year… starting with "White Christmas" and “Angels We Have Heard On High.”

~ Angels We Have

Heard On High ~

>>The earliest known printed version of “Angels We Have Heard On High” was in an 1842 French song book. It is generally sung to the hymn tune “Gloria”, a traditional French carol. The tune as we know it today was adapted and arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes. The song’s subject is the birth of Jesus as narrated in the Gospel of Luke, specifically the scene in which shepherds outside Bethlehem encounter a multitude of angels singing and praising the newborn child.

>>The lyrics are inspired by, but not an exact translation of, the traditional French carol known as Les Anges dans nos campagnes (literally “the angels in our countryside”), whose first known publication was in 1843.

Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

~ White Christmas ~

>>Bing Crosby had a long and versatile career in entertainment, including radio, television, stage, and screen. He was the original multimedia star. He made over 70 films and recorded more than 1,600 songs. He was the one of the original teen idols for kids in the 1930s before Frank Sinatra took it to new levels in the next decade. Ten of the top 50 songs of 1931 included Crosby with others or as a solo act.



>>But it will forever be Christmas and the songs surrounding the holiday that put Bing on a first name basis with millions of people the world over. Because of his success and power within Hollywood, the very best songwriters were always available and were trying to get him to sing one of their songs.

>>One of the best – if not the premier songwriter of the 20th Century – was Irving Berlin. Born in Russia in 1888 as Israel Baline, he grew up in New York City. In 1911, Irving wrote “Alexander’s Rag Time Band,” which put him on the path to stardom. He also penned “Blue Skies,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz, “Easter Parade,” “Heat Wave,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “God Bless America,” and another Christmas classic, “Happy Holiday.” But it was his work for a movie score in 1942 that placed Irving into legendary status.

>>The movie, “Holiday Inn,” was to star Bing and Fred Astaire. The story line revolved around the holiday season, and thus, the music needed to reflect the plot of the movie. As a native New Yorker, when he thought of the season, he remembered snow, ice, cold, etc. But his surroundings while writing the song – sunny and warm Los Angeles – made him realize that many people didn’t have those experiences. He recognized that one thing that made the holiday special was the idea of a perfect Christmas – one with pure white snow, glistening treetops, and children waiting for Santa’s arrival.

>>When Irving had finished writing the song, he was not convinced the song was good and thought about scrapping it and starting over. He brought it to Bing and sang it for him. Bing told Irving the song was perfect and not to change a thing.

>>Crosby first performed the song on his Christmas Day radio show in 1941, just three weeks after the United States had entered World War II.

Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

Metro Atlanta Christmas & Holiday Event Guide & Christian Concerts

Now - January 2

Holidays at the Georgia Aquarium

At The Georgia Aquarium

225 Baker St. NW, Atlanta, GA, 30313

The magic of the winter season returns. Take in the sights and sounds of Holidays at Georgia Aquarium in our completely transformed atrium with festive music, winter-inspired projections, and our 40-foot live tree. We are proud to bring back some of your holiday favorites including photos with Santa, daily lighting of our tree, and holiday-themed dolphin presentations. We cannot wait to sea you! 404-581-4000

https://www.georgiaaquarium.org

Now - December 23

Georgia Mountain Fair

Mountain Country Christmas

in Lights 2025

At Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, Hiawassee, GA

A holiday treat for the entire family at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee, GA along the shores of beautiful Lake Chatuge in the Northeast Georgia mountains. The Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds will transform into a spectacular, magical holiday walk through light show immersed in Christmas music, arts and crafts, food, fun, entertainment, photo opportunities, train rides, and a visit with Santa Claus!  6pm-9pm Thursday, Friday, & Saturday from November 27 - December 6th. Open EVERY night from December 11th - 23rd! (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day)

https://georgiamountainfairgrounds.com

December 12 - 21

A Christmas Tradition

Holiday Spectacular

At The Strand Theatre

117 North Park Square,

Marietta, Ga 30060

A Christmas Tradition returns to The Strand stage for another unforgettable year of sharing the holiday spirit through sparkling song and dance!

This hometown favorite holiday revue features costumed singers and dancers performing both traditional and funky Christmas favorites. A Christmas Tradition is a non-stop, high-energy spectacle that is the perfect way to put the whole family in the Christmas spirit this season!

10 shows over 8 different days!

770-293-0080

www.thestrand.com

December 16 - December 21

Elf The Musical

At The Fox Theatre

60 Peachtree Street, NE,

Atlanta, GA 30308 

Presented By Broadway in Atlanta.

Elf The Musical, inspired by the hit film,

is the hilarious and heartwarming tale of Buddy, a young orphan child whose life is changed forever when he mistakenly crawls into Santa's sack of toys one Christmas Eve. Nine shows over six days. (404) 881-2100

www.foxtheatre.evenue.net

Click Here For All Upcoming Concerts and Links For More Information

Click Here For The Metro Atlanta Christmas & Holiday Event Guide

Origins of 23 Of Your Favorite Christmas Traditions

Click Here For The Full Story

New Christmas Music For 2025

Click Here For The Full Story

~ Silent Night ~

>>The origin of the Christmas carol we know as “Silent Night” was a poem that was written in 1816 by an Austrian priest called Joseph Mohr not long after the Napoleonic wars had taken their toll.

>>On Christmas Eve in 1818 in the small alpine village called Oberndorf, it is reputed that the organ at St. Nicholas Church had broken. Mohr gave the poem of “Silent Night (Stille Nacht)” to his friend Franz Xavier Gruber and the melody was composed with this in mind. The music to “Silent Night” was therefore intended for a guitar and the simple score was finished in time for Midnight Mass.

Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

~The Christmas Song ~

(Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)

>>“The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)” was written by a native Chicagoan and made famous by a singer/songwriter who grew up in Chicago. The writer was Mel Torme. The singer was Nat King Cole.

>>Written in 1946 on one of the hottest July days on record in Los Angeles, Mel and his writing partner, Robert Wells, were assigned to write title songs for two movies. Wells was trying to fight off the unbearable heat writing down everything he could think of from childhood winters in New England.

>>Mel saw the notes Wells had written on a pad of paper – “Chestnuts roasting…Jack Frost nipping…Yuletide carols…Folks dressed up like Eskimos” and saw lyrics to a song. Wells dismissed the notion that it was a song and suggested that they focus on the task at hand – writing the music for the movies. Mel insisted they should continue with what Wells had started. Forty minutes later, “The Christmas Song” was complete.

Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

~The First Noel ~

>>“The First Noel,” is believed to date from the 13th century, a time in which all medieval civilization in Europe was springing to life. The inspiration for the story of the song comes from dramatizations of favorite Bible stories for holidays, which were called the Miracle Plays, very popular during this time. It tells the story of the night that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, based on the Gospel accounts in Luke 2 and Matthew 2.

>>Noel is the French word for Christmas and is from the Latin natalis, meaning “birthday.” Most medieval poetry was written to be sung, so it is presumed that the words were written with an existing tune in mind. This makes the tune to the song even older, and is likely English or French.

Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

~ Have Yourself A

Merry Little Christmas ~

>>Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, Hall of Fame writers had written music for such movie classics like “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “Girl Crazy.," among many others.



>>They were contracted by MGM to write the music for “Meet Me In St. Louis,” which starred Mary Astor, June Lockhart, Margaret O’Brien, and a 22 year old who had made her big screen debut five years earlier in "Wizard of Oz." Judy Garland.

>>The plot called for Judy’s character to sing a song to her little sister, who was worried that the family’s impending move from New York City to Missouri would cause Santa Claus from being able to find her.

>>The scene was set on Christmas Eve night with them looking out from an upstairs window onto a snow covered front lawn.

Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

~ (Feed The World) Do They Know It’s Christmas Time ~

>>The age of the celebrity supergroup charity single truly began in October 1984, when Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof watched in horror as footage of the worsening Ethiopian famine played across his television screen as part of a BBC News documentary. He was still haunted by the images a week later when a chance encounter reunited him with an old friend, Ultravox frontman Midge Ure, who was just as troubled by what he had seen on the report. The men decided to channel their outrage into a new charity single.

>>The group assembled at Sarm West Studios on November 25th, 1984 was a venerable who’s who of recent U.K. chart toppers. The verses were sung by Paul Young, Boy George, George Michael, Le Bon, and Bono (respectively), while the “Feed the world” chorus featured Geldof, Ure, David Bowie, Phil Collins, Paul McCartney, Status Quo, Bananarama, Paul Weller and many others.



>>The vocal track was completed in one marathon 24-hour session, and — amazingly — in shops just days later, credited to “Band Aid.” Thanks to a massive publicity campaign and an hourly push on BBC radio, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” shot to number one in the U.K., where it remained the biggest selling single until Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997.” In addition to the tens of millions of dollars it raised worldwide for Ethiopian famine relief, the song helped sew the seeds for Geldof and Ure’s Live Aid concert the following year.

Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

~It Came Upon A Midnight Clear~

>>“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” was written by Edmund Hamilton Sears in 1849, reportedly at the request of his friend and fellow minister, W.P. Lunt. It was first presented at his 1849 Sunday School Christmas celebration and was originally published on December 29, 1849 in a church magazine, The Christian Register in Massachusetts. Sears was also was the editor for the Boston-based Monthly Religious Magazine from 1859 to 1871.

>>The carol started as a poem written by its author, a part-time preacher living in Wayland, MA at the time. Maybe one of the first social gospel hymns written. Sears’ context was the social strife that plagued the country as the Civil War approached.



>>In 1850, a friend of Sears, Richard Storrs Willis, a composer who trained under Felix Mendelssohn, wrote the melody called “Carol,” which he had written for the organ.

Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

~ Do You Hear What I Hear? ~

>>Although the names of Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne may not be familiar, the pair had a string of successful songs in late ’50s and early ’60s with Regney writing the music and Shayne the lyrics. They include “Rain, Rain, Go Away,” recorded by Bobby Vinton, and “Dominque” by The Singing Nun. Shayne also had several hits writing with others like “Goodbye Cruel World,” by James Darren, “The Men in My Little Girl’s Life,” by Mike Douglas and “Almost There,” by Andy Williams.



>>Their masterpiece, however, is “Do You Hear What I Hear?”

>>Regney (1922-2002) was a Frenchman trained as a classical composer who was drafted into the German army in World War II. After the war ended, he moved to Manhattan in 1952 and married. Regney.

>>Regney and Shayne wrote “Do You Hear What I Hear” in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Regney drew the image of Jesus as a newborn lamb from Matthew 2:9 and 2:11 and took his lyrics to his wife to set in the reverse of their usual practice. But while it is often taken for a Christmas carol, for Regney and Shayne “Do You Hear What I Hear” is a hymn to peace by a man who had experienced the horrors of war.

>>“I am amazed that people can think they know the song,” Regney later said, “and not know it was a prayer for peace.”

>>Although the song has been recorded by Bing Crosby, Perry Como and over 120 others, Regney and Shayne’s favorite recording was Robert Goulet’s 1963 recording for its dramatic delivery and his climatic “Pray for peace, people everywhere.”

Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

Radio host, best selling author

Dave Ramsey

The Cost of Christmas Debt

>>Ahh, Christmas. It comes around just once a year and brings joy and lots of cheer. It’s the season of giving and forgiving. It’s the season of cozy nights and settling in by a warm fire with hot chocolate. It’s the season of lights, ice skating and endless Christmas parties. But after the lights come down and the tree goes into storage, all you have is a wallet with a holiday hangover and no money left to your name.

>>The $483 Christmas Mistake - Sound familiar? You’re not alone. For many, overspending on Christmas is just a way of life.

>>This year, the National Retail Federation survey shows that holiday shoppers plan to spend $998 on everything from presents and pies to tinsel and trees. That’s all well and good when it's a planned expense you can cash flow. But all that holly jolly can do a lot of damage when you put the whole Christmas shebang on your credit card.

Click Here For The Full Story and More

on Our Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Page

~ The 12 Days of Christmas ~

>>To most, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a delightful nonsense rhyme set to music. But it had a quite serious purpose when it was written. It is a good deal more than just a repetitious melody with pretty phrases and a list of strange gifts.

>>Catholics in England from 1558 to 1829, when Parliament emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law – private OR public. It was a crime to BE a Catholic.

>>“The Twelve Days of Christmas” was written in England as one of the “catechism songs” to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith – a memory aid, when to be caught with anything in writing indicating adherence to the faith could not only get you imprisoned, it could get you hanged.

>>The songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. The “true love” mentioned in the song doesn’t refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The “me” who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings.

Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

~ Silver Bells ~

>>Jay Livingston & Ray Evans met while students at the University of Pennsylvania. Following their graduation in 1937, both moved to NYC where they took up residence in the famed Tin Pan Alley – a hotbed of musical creativity. The duo moved to Hollywood in 1945, where they began to work for Paramount Pictures. It was there that the duo enjoyed their biggest successes, including Best Song Oscars for “Buttons and Bows” (1948), “Mona Lisa” (1950) and “Que Sera Sera” (1956). 

>>They also wrote the hit song, “Tammy” by Debbie Reynolds along with theme music for TV shows Bonanza and Mister Ed, with Livingston singing the lyrics for the latter: “A horse is a horse, of course, of course …”

>>Bob Hope was one of the biggest stars of the 20th Century. He was a comic, radio performer, actor, and television star. He garnered additional notoriety beginning in 1942 for spending every holiday season with the men and women in uniform of the US Armed Forces.

>>Because of his work with the Armed Forces during his lifetime, he became the most honored private citizen in history, as well as becoming known as “Mr. Christmas” to the troops, even though he had never had a successful Christmas movie or recorded a successful Christmas song.

>>That changed in 1951 with the release of The Lemon Drop Kid.  The movie was set in the city, which was a new setting for a holiday movie. Most of the era’s holiday movies were set in the country. Livingston and Evans were asked to create songs designed for urban life. While playing with a small silver bell and discussing holiday scenes in the city, the two visualized the way streets and display windows were decorated, happy shoppers, blinking red and green stoplights, children waiting in line to meet Santa.



>>The duo sang it to Ray’s wife. Upon hearing the song, she began laughing. Confused, Jay and Ray asked her why she was laughing. She told them to listen to the lyrics they had written: “Tinker bell, tinker bell, it’s Christmastime in the city,” was what was originally written, with “Tinker Bells” being the name of the song.



Click Here For The Rest Of The Story

New Christmas Christian Books For 2025

Click Here 

For The Full List