Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”
- Luke 2:13-14 (GNT)
What is your favorite part of the Christmas season?
Is it the lights and decorations, the parties and food or the gifts and time spent with family?
Ask me this and I will give you a different answer every day, but singing is likely to be my answer the majority of time.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions though, encompasses all the above and more.
I had some family traditions prior to marriage but the traditions that I inherited from my husband’s family really reminds me of the joy of the Christmas season.
We gather together, we read Luke 2, we sing traditional Christmas carols.
My favorite is Silent Night, originally written in German by Father Joseph Mohr and set to music by composer Franz Xaver Gruber.
The words, the melody, I can barely sing it without crying, here it is in English and in the original German:
ENGLISH -
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
heav’nly hosts sing, Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
radiant beams from thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
---
GERMAN -
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft, einsam wacht,
nur das traute, hoch heilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
schlaf in himmlischer Ruh,
schlaf in himmlischer Ruh.
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!
Hirten erst kundgemacht,
durch der Engel Halleluja,
tönt es laut von fern und nah:
Christ, der Retter, ist da,
Christ, der Retter, ist da!
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
da uns schlägt die rettende Stund’,
Christ, in deiner Geburt,
Christ, in deiner Geburt.
The melody is haunting, the words beautiful, and this song probably speaks “Christmas” to me the loudest.
What is your favorite?
#dailybreadbykitty
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