CHRISTMAS SONGS:
Christmas carols; you either love them or hate them and there is no Christmas carol quite like Jingle bells.
It’s been covered by the stars, parodied and satirized and even has its own jokey lyrics. But Jingle Bells actually has the most surprising story of any Christmas carol. Originally, it wasn’t called Jingle Bells and has nothing to do with Christmas at all. It was originally a drinking song! Given the content of the song’s lyrics, historians think that it’s unlikely that it was intended to be a song for family-friendly occasions. Jingle Bells has even changed its tunes over the years. Originally, the song’s chorus was a bit more complicated than it is today, even melancholic.
Singing remained separate from Christmas until Saint Francis of Assisi began incorporating similar sayings and songs of well wishes in his Christmas services. He encouraged the members of his church to embrace music during the holiday season. Saint Francis’ method was a hit, and soon enough people began taking the songs home to enjoy with their families.
These songs stuck to their oral traditions for several hundred years, being passed down from family to family, until some were finally collected, written down, and published in 1582. This helped to solidify the songs in cultures across the world. Soon, they migrated from the church and became a staple activity in holiday celebrations. While most popular carols have been given a modern spin from their former medieval tune, they continue to bring the warm wishes and comfort of the holiday season.
CHRISTMAS MOVIES:
Nothing brings the spirit of the season into our hearts quite like a great holiday movie. “Christmas films” exist across many genres. Some, like It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story, are perennials, while others, such as Die Hard, have only gradually become yuletide favorites. But they all have one thing in common: they use themes evoked by the holiday period – nostalgia, joy, togetherness, dysfunction, commercialism, or cynicism – as a force in their storytelling.
Writer: Aaisha Mullug
Editors: Luvlynn Bholah, Valligan Simran