Christmas Season

Adoration of the Shepherds by Gerard van Honthorst (dated 1622). Image from Wikipedia.

In secular culture, the Christmas season begins after Thanksgiving and ends on Dec. 26. But in the Church’s calendar, Christmas begins on the evening of Dec. 24 and extends to the Baptism of the Lord, which is January 8th, 2023. The historical Christmas cycle extends to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd, so those who want to keep their decorations up longer have good reason to do so.

The first eight days are celebrated with particular solemnity (the Christmas Octave), and the season includes important feasts such as Epiphany (commemorating the visit of the Magi), the Martyrdom of St. Stephen (the first to shed his blood for Christ), the Holy Innocents (the children who died as a result of Herod trying to kill the Christ child), and the feast of St. John the Evangelist.

The liturgical color for the Christmas season is white, which symbolizes purity, light, glory, and joy.

At Mass, we sing with greater gusto the Gloria, from which we have fasted during Advent. This link will help you to learn the Latin version which we will be singing, and I really hope all of you make the effort.

Our Director of Music, Scott Camden, offers a wonderful history and reflection on two beloved Christmas Carols below.

Silent Night

Among one of the most beloved Christmas Carols, Silent Night has a fascinating story behind its composition.  I've shared this story with our parish's choir members over the years, and am excited to have more people learn about its origin.

In 1816, Austrian Priest Joseph Mohr was preparing to celebrate Christmas Eve Masses, when he and his music director discovered that the church organ had malfunctioned.  At this point the legend becomes somewhat ambiguous; some versions cite this as the time Fr. Mohr and his music director wrote the words and music to Silent Night, while other versions suggest the priest had already begun writing it.  Regardless, at a moment when dealing with such a heavy liturgical blow - the loss of the organ on such an important feast day - this Austrian parish priest rose to the challenge, and used the opportunity to offer something new, meek, and humble to the Lord.  The hymn’s opening lyrics: “Silent Night... Holy Night" take on a whole new meaning when we realize they were first sung in a spacious European church, accompanied only by a humble guitar to fill in for the malfunctioning organ.  Little did either Fr. Mohr or the music director know that their humble song would be elevated by the Lord for many decades afterwards.

Thus, aside from the lyrical and melodic beauty of this classic Christmas Carol, for those who know the story behind its composition, it serves as a wonderful example of bringing good out of a dark situation (Cf. Gen 50:20).

God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

Among one of the oldest known Christmas Carols, this hymn dates back to the 1600s, with its first known publication in 1760.  It is even referenced by Charles Dickens in The 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."

Musically, the hymn is a bit unusual and unique amongst its fellow Carols, as it is written in a Minor key (as opposed to Major).  While there are certainly better descriptors, oftentimes Major keys are described as "happy" or "uplifting,” whereas Minor keys are more "sad" and "somber."  Our Advent hymn, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" is written in a Minor key for this reason.  So why would a joyous Christmas Carol be written in a more somber tone?

The general consensus is that the theological themes of this Carol as so seriously and profound that they demand to be 'taken seriously' as it were.  Here is the hymn's first verse:

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
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
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

Yes, the hymn references merriment and joy, but the main reason to celebrate the occasion of Christmas with these positive emotions is due to how dramatic and serious Christ's incarnation is for humanity.  He comes not casually or aimlessly, but on a mission from His Father to "save us from Satan's power" - to conquer sin and death.  This is why one of the wise men gifts the infant Jesus with myrrh, to signify the sacrificial nature of Christ’s incarnational ministry and mission. So, next time you hear this Carol, rather than wondering why it isn’t “happier” like the rest, take a moment to be both present to Christ’s birth as well as looking forward to his Pascal sacrifice on the cross, and salvific graces won for us.