Christmas Song Story: We Three Kings
Peter Cornelius, a German composer, wrote “The Three Kings” under the oritinal title “Die Könige” for a vocal soloist. The carol describes the visit of the Biblical Magi to the Infant Jesus during the Nativity…
12 Days of Christmas: The Hope of Christmas by Jennifer Carr
Today is the second of our 12 Days of Christmas and it’s a joy to welcome Jennifer Car. She’s sharing a short excerpt from her book and then a Christmas devotional. Excerpt from The Lost…
Christmas Song Story: Mary’s Boy Child
“Mary’s Boy Child” is a Christmas song written by Jester Hariston in 1956. According to Wikipedia, a friend asked Hairston to write a song for a birthday party. Hairston wrote the song with a calypson…
Christmas Song Story: Jesus, the Light of the World
“Jesus, the Light of the World” was arranged by George D. Elderkin. It was first published with a collection of Christmas Carols in 1890 in “Gift of Finest Wheat”. He seems to have arranged this…
Christmas Song Story: Gabriel’s Message
“Gabriel’s Message” is a Christmas folk carol that tells of Gabriel’s announcement to the Virgin Mary that she would become the mother of the Christ. The song is also known as “The angel Gabriel from…
Guest Post: What kind of Christmas tree topper will you use this year? by Becky Van Vleet
It’s a pleasure to host Becky Van Vleet as she shares a Christmas memory and how it inspired her creativity. She’s also hosting the day over on my Facebook page: Leagh’s Little Bit of Christmas.…
The Nativity by Dianne Marie Andre
Mary, mother of Jesus. My heart can barely grasp what an extraordinary woman she must have been to be chosen the mother of the world’s Savior. I imagine her perfect, without sin. Though this is…
Embracing Christmas Traditions by Julie Arduini
Thank you so much for hosting me today! As a child, each Sunday we could count on roast beef for dinner. If we’d lost all calendars and had no idea what day it was, seeing…
Christmas Hymn: Sussex Carol
The “Sussex Carol” is a popular Christmas Carol in Britain. Luke Wadding, a 17th Century Irish Bishop, first published the song in 1684. It is unknown whether he wrote the song himself or had recorded…
A Common Girl An Uncommon Time Journey II by Jane Baker
Thanks to Caesar Augustus’s demand for a census, which Mary didn’t mind, since it rescued her from Nazareth, Mary and Joseph trod the same crowded road Mary had six months ago. The donkey plodded along,…
Far From Home Christmas by E.V. Sparrow
In 1975, I accepted Jesus Christ’s work on the cross for my salvation, and a few months later, my parents sold my childhood home. We moved into a new community for people over 55. Because…
Christmas Season Must Watch List by Karin Beery
I love the holiday season. It’s not just Christmas—it’s the love, anticipation, grace, and thankfulness that fills our house every November, December, and January. I start decorating the first weekend of November, and I have…
Christmas Song: The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy
I have found two different stories for this hymn. The first states it is believed “The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy” was written Jamaican singer-songwriter Oswald Dunbar sometime in the early 1960s. Legend states…
A Common Girl, An Uncommon Time Journey I by Jane Baker
After a long walk from Nazareth with Daniel’s family, finally Elizabeth’s shaky soprano drifted over her wall, her words from a psalm of David Mary recognized. “You have made known to me the path of…
Christmas Hymn Story: In Dulci Jubilo
“In dulci jubilo” means in sweet rejoicing in Latin. The original text is believed to have been written around 1328 by Heinrich Seuse, a German mystic. According to folklore, “Seuse heard angels sing these words…
Ten Ways to Display Kindness During the Holidays by Jennifer Hallmark
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” –Aesop The holidays have arrived, dressed in glitter, bearing the aroma of pumpkin, cinnamon, and pine. Traffic has jammed around malls and supercenters. And…
Christmas Hymn Story: In the Bleak Mid-Winter
English poet Christina Rosetti published a poem under the title “A Christmas Carol” in January 1872 issue of Scribner’s Monthly. Composer Gustav Holst composed a setting to her words in 1906. The new hymn appeared…
Christmas Song Story: Star of the East
Star of the East was originally named “Stern über Bethlehem”. In 1883, composer Amanda Kennedy composed a melody “Star of the Sea”. George Cooper, a New York lyricists, wrote the lyrics in 1890. The song is…
Christmas Song Story: Shepherds Arise
Shepherds Arise! Be Not Afraid is first recorded by a church in Dorset England. The carol dates back to the 19th century. The carol was first published in the 1926 A Collection of Dorset Carols. The book was…
Christmas Song Story: Once in Royal David’s City
The carol originally appeared as a poem written by Cecil Frances Alexander. The poem was first published in the 1848 Hymns for Little Children. The poem tells the story of the nativity and was combined in…