What I didn’t know about “O Holy Night”

Until today I had no idea that this carol had so much story to it. For starters, it was originally a French song. Well, I guess it still is a French song, but if you’re reading this, chances are you’ve only known the English translated version. The story unfolds in the small town of Roquemaure in southern France in the 1840’s. The Catholic church there had just finished getting renovations done on their organ, and to celebrate the parish priest asked a local poet to write a Christmas carol. The poet’s name was Adolphe Adam. From what I’ve read, his church attendance was a bit precarious, so maybe he was surprised at being asked (I turn the corners of my mouth down hard and shrug.).

He wrote a poem and titled it “Midnight, Christians” which I’m guessing was referring to midnight mass. He then approached his composer friend, Placide Cappeau, to see if he would be so kind and write a melody for it. It was titled, “Cantique de Noël.” The priest was happy with the result and grateful for the work. Yes, it would certainly be a celebration to remember: the song was premiered in Roquemaure with an opera singer belting out the lyrics, and soon thereafter the song spread throughout France like wildfire. Not only was it regarded as a masterpiece, people also loved to sing it.

Now I don’t know if this next part should surprise us or not, but the carol ended up getting banned by the Catholic church shortly after. The reason why is frightfully home-hitting despite being over 170 years ago. The priest had found out that the poet was a Socialist. AND he found out that his composer friend who wrote the melody was Jewish. That’s all he needed to hear. Time to put a stop to that song!

But it didn’t work. The people of France didn’t stop singing it. In fact, there’s a sweet afterward to this story.

During this time France and Germany went to war for a little over six months (the Franco-Prussian War). France had been the big dog in continental Europe for quite a long time, but Germany had been becoming a bigger and bigger dog in the yard, especially after taking over Austria. So, of course, they couldn’t stop comparing penis sizes until there was only one way to settle the issue. Send their own innocent citizens into a war to kill one another. You know, just standard war stuff. (And, fyi, much of it was a precursor to WWI.)

But it was during this war that “O Holy Night” would have a much greater moment of greatness that would make the debut, complete with opera singer, look like a bad episode of Up Home Tonight. The war started in the summer and continued to the end of the following January, so for many French and German people, that particular Christmas was spent in the horrors of war. But on Christmas eve, one brave French soldier came up out of his trench unarmed. He proceeded to sing “O Holy Night” loud enough for all to hear. No one shot at him, no one attacked. And when he was through, a German soldier came out unarmed and approached him. That soldier sang a traditional German Christmas carol. And because of that little event, a Christmas ceasefire followed.

I find it ironic that the priest banned a song about redemption because of the political views and ethnic identity of its creators. I also find it gratifying to know that the song not only lived on to see a moment of redemptive greatness on a battlefield, but continues to be one of the most popular Christmas carols around the world today.

And to think, when that soldier stood on the battlefield unarmed singing a Christmas carol, the soldiers on both sides heard these words sung:

Truly He taught us to love one anotherHis law is Love and His gospel is Peace:Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brotherAnd in his name all oppression shall cease

Well, there was no consensus on which flick would be our movie of the week as Elf and It’s a Wonderful Life ended in tie. So I thought the winner this week should be the one that didn’t even get a vote (although it was Joy’s pick). It was our first movie date which we watched sometime around now 28 years ago.

Congratulations The Muppet Christmas Carol. This is your week.

And the Oscar goes to…

Best Actress:

Zooey Deschanel as Jovie in Elf.

Best Actor: James Stewart as George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life.

Best Quote: “Light the lamp, not the rat, light the lamp, not the rat! Put me out, put me out, put me out!” — Rizzo the Rat in The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Just a little trivia for you while we’re on the subject of Christmas songs banned by the Catholic church. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus was also in this category. It was because it mixed Christmas with kissing.