Let's Talk: Christmas Traditions
The First Christmas Song
One of the first Christmas carols ever was called “Angels Hymn,” written about a hundred years after the death and resurrection of Christ. Around this time, at least for those in the Church, nativity-themed hymns started overtaking traditional pagan songs sung for Winter Solstice.
Over the centuries, Christmas songs evolved from slow, traditional hymns to soaring cantatas sung by cathedral choirs and contemporary praise songs about the Lord’s birth.
But the TRUE first Christmas song may have had no musical melody at all. Luke 1:46-45 records the “lyrics” of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, after she conceived and before the Virgin Birth of Jesus. Most people call this “Mary’s Song,” or “The Magnificat.”
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
