Tag: story

Each day between December 1-25, we will look at one of the traditional symbols of Christmas, what these symbols mean and how they tell the Christmas story of our Savior’s birth.

Carols

The word Carol actually means dance or a song of praise and joy! So it makes sense that we include them in the celebration of Christ’s birth. Originally, carols used to be written and sung during all four seasons, but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived. While, the actual origin of caroling as a part of our Christmas celebration is really unknown, several countries have claimed to be the birthplace of the custom. However, from the beginning, music of some kind was a part of the church festivities in honor of the birth of Jesus. While history records instances of carol singing, we can safely assume that caroling was first done by the choir of Angels who sang, “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, peace, and good will to all people.”

History of Carols

One of the earliest documents of caroling can be found in 129, when a Roman Bishop said that a song called “Angel’s Hymn” should be sung at a Christmas service in Rome. Another famous early Christmas Hymn was written in 760, by Comas of Jerusalem, for the Greek Orthodox Church. Soon after this many composers all over Europe started to write ‘Christmas carols’. Then, in 1223, St. Francis of Assisi started Nativity Plays in Italy. As part of the production, people sang songs or “canticles” that told the story during the plays. These new carols spread to France, Spain, Germany and other European countries.

One early carol, written in 14010, was about Mary and Jesus meeting different people in Bethlehem. Only a very small fragment of the song still exists. Most Carols from this time and the Elizabethan era are not Biblically based, but rather a very loose ideas from the Christmas story. They were seen as entertaining more so than religious songs. Traveling Minstrels would change the words for local people to understand. An example of one of these songs that we still sing during Christmas time today is, “I Saw Three Ships.”

We know that caroling existed in Germany in the 15th century because Martin Luther wrote that when Christmas was celebrated, he went with others from house to house and village to village singing popular Christmas carols. We could safely assume that caroling was first done by the Choir of Angels who sang, “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, peace, and good will to all people.”

Puritan era

In the 1640s, as the Puritans came to power, the celebration of Christmas and singing carols was stopped. However, the people still sang them in secret and carols survived that era. Then in the Victorian era, William Sandys and Davis Gilbert collected old Christmas music from villages in England, and once again their notes were being sung in the open.

Official Carol Singers or “Waits”

Before carol singing in public became popular, there were sometimes official carol singers called ‘Waits’. These were bands of people led by important local leaders (such as council leaders). They were called ‘Waits’ because they only sang on Christmas Eve, also known as ‘watchnight’ or ‘waitnight’ because of the shepherds were watching their sheep when the angels appeared to them. These official carols singers ushered in the Christmas celebrations. Also, at this time, many orchestras and choirs were being set up in the cities of England and people wanted Christmas songs to sing, so carols once again became popular. Many new carols, such as ‘Good King Wenceslas’, were also written in the Victorian period.

Carols by Candlelight

New carols services were created and became popular, as did the custom of singing carols in the streets. Both of these customs are still popular today! One of the most popular types of Carols services are Carols by Candlelight services. At this service, the church is only lit by candlelight and it feels very Christmassy! Carols by Candlelight services are held in countries all over the world.

Carol Services

The most famous type of Carol Service might be a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, where carols and Bible readings tell the Christmas Story. You can experience one of these services here. A service of Nine Lessons and Carols has nine Bible readings (or lessons), that tell the Christmas story, with one or two carols between each lesson. Now, famously, the opening verse of “Once in Royal David’s City,” is sung by a single boy chorister (or treble) but in the early years of the service at King’s College it was sung by the whole choir. Several choristers train to perform the solo, but the boy who will sing it is only told a couple of minutes before the service starts, so he can’t get too nervous!

Today, we have many Christmas Carols to sing and you can sing along from our YouTube Christmas playlist. Just click play below:

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Here are some of our other Christmas Christian tees designs.

Here are a few samples of our Christmas designs. You can see them all in the store. There are only 5 weeks ’til Christmas. All designs are printed when ordered so you’ll need to give time for printing and shipping. Order early to ensure they arrive in time for wearing this holiday season or giving as gifts.

Here are some of our favorite designs

Listen to our Christmas Playlist on YouTube

Get a head start on your Christmas Shopping at Christian Book Distributors

Only 4 weeks ’til Christmas!

Click here to enter the Christian Book Distributors 2020 Christmas Collection

Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.

Here’s some of our recent posts.

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

• Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
• Conversation Starters.
• Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
• Romance Builders.
• Relationship Builders.
• Personal reflections.
• Date ideas.
• Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

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Each day between December 1-25, we will look at one of the traditional symbols of Christmas, what these symbols mean and how they tell the Christmas story of our Savior’s birth.

Bells

Christmas joy naturally overflows into music. But when did they become part of traditional Christmas celebrations? Of all our Christmas symbols, the bells have experienced the fewest changes. Church bells, which have gladdened the hearts of people throughout the ages, are said to have became associated with the Christian Church because of St. Patrick. According to tradition, Patrick, a missionary to the Emerald Island in the 5th century, used it to gather the Irish people together for the teaching and preaching of God’s Word. With time, the bell came to be associated with the Lord’s work and to symbolize something sacred. Others say church bells started earlier and contribute the use of bells in church to an Italian bishop named Paulinus of Nola.

Within time, the ringing of church bells began to signal the time, and many communities depended on the bells in order to attend weddings, funerals or other services at the proper hour. Additionally, in some cases, the sequence of tones and the number of bells rung would indicate several details about a service or feast that was about to begin. Another interesting fact is the word “clock” comes from a Medieval Latin word “clocca” which means “bell.”

Priestly bells

We can find the use of bells as part of worship even in the Old Testament. Here, we find that bells were used and sewn onto the priestly garments. Exodus 28:34 provides the description: “a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe.” The purpose of these bells were so when the priest went into the Holy of Holies, the people outside would hear them as the priest moved around to perform his duties. If they stopped jingling, they assumed the priest had died and they would pull him out by a rope that was tied around him.

Christmas bells

But what about the bells we find in our Christmas traditions? Bells have long had an close association with Christian churches. In many churches today, their ringing can still be heard every Sunday, and throughout the rest of the year for various religious celebrations – one of the most significant of course is Christmas. It comes as no surprise then that bells are a familiar symbol during the holiday season. They can be found on Christmas cards, in holiday decorations, and in many Christmas pageants. Christmas bells are featured prominently in religious and secular traditions throughout history and are used to announce arrivals of people and holidays, events, and other special celebrations. There are several kinds of Christmas bells used during this special holiday, including church bells, sleigh bells, and hand bells, and each has a special meaning and history.

Church Bells

The use of bells in churches dates back to 400 AD when an Italian bishop named Paulinus of Nola introduced bells as part of Catholic church services. In 604 AD, Pope Sabinian officially sanctioned the ringing of church bells during worship. Specifically, Pope Sabinian introduced the custom of ringing church bells during the celebration of the Eucharist and to announce times of daily prayer called the canonical hours. By the early Middle Ages, church bells were common in Europe. Most churches observing a midnight Christmas service ring the bells at midnight. Believed to be the time of Christ’s birth, Christmas Eve services often start at midnight signaled by the ringing of the church bells.

Sleigh Bells

Another popular Christmas bell is the sleigh bell. This type of bell was designed to be worn by horses as a warning to any pedestrians. This holiday bell was made popular by the Christmas song Jingle Bells

Jingle Bells

Perhaps the most famous bells at Christmas now are the ones in the song ‘Jingle Bells’. However, the song was first called “One Horse Open Sleigh” and was originally published, in the USA, in September 1857 as a Thanksgiving song and NOT a Christmas one! But it soon became associated with Christmas because of the ‘snowy’ lyrics and many choirs were singing it at Christmas in the 1860s and 1870s. It was first recorded in 1889. Often only the first verse (and chorus) are now sung. The other verses are about driving the ‘one horse open sleigh’ rather fast and crashing it!

Jingle Bells was also the first song to be broadcast from space in December 1965 when the astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra said they had spotted a sleigh in space! They then took out a harmonica and sleigh bells which they had smuggled onto the Gemini 6 space craft and played and sang the song to mission control.

Jingle Bells was written by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) and the original version had some slightly different words and a slightly different tune for the chorus than are used today. There is some debate as to where it was written. Some people claim it was written in 1850 Medford, Massachusetts; while other people claim it was written nearer 1875 when James Lord Pierpoint lived in Savannah, Georgia.

Handbells

The sound of handheld bells has been used for centuries as part of ceremonies and announcements, such as a town crier delivering the daily news. In Victorian times, it was very fashionable to go carol singing with small hand bells to play the tune of the carol. Sometimes there would only be the bells and no singing! Hand bell ringing is still popular today. Handbell choirs ring out Christmas carols and songs in a spectacular musical celebration of the season.

Let the Bells Ring in Celebration

Surely Christmas is one of the greatest and most joyous of all season. And, as in Ireland during the time of St. Patrick, the bell still symbolizes the Lord’s work. Let us remember that God’s greatest act in all of history began when he stepped into time as a man for the purpose of redeeming us. Let the bells ring in celebration!

Check out our Spreadshop store with Christian Tees and other products

The elves have been busy! Check out these new Christmas designs

There are only 3 weeks until Christmas. Products are printed when ordered, so allow time for printing and shipping. See them all in the store.

Here are some of our other Christmas Christian tees designs.

Here are a few samples of our Christmas designs. You can see them all in the store. There are only 5 weeks ’til Christmas. All designs are printed when ordered so you’ll need to give time for printing and shipping. Order early to ensure they arrive in time for wearing this holiday season or giving as gifts.

Here are some of our favorite designs

Listen to our Christmas Playlist on YouTube

Get a head start on your Christmas Shopping at Christian Book Distributors

Only 4 weeks ’til Christmas!

Click here to enter the Christian Book Distributors 2020 Christmas Collection

Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.

Here’s some of our recent posts.

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

This book includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

• Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
• Conversation Starters.
• Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
• Romance Builders.
• Relationship Builders.
• Personal reflections.
• Date ideas.
• Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook from Westbow Press Bookstore, Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Click the icons below to purchase from your preferred bookstore. Now also available at WalMart online.

904.239.8937
A non-profit ministry located in Jacksonville, FL 


Follow us on: