My love and appreciation for the song, Silent Night, which reflects on the night of Jesus’ birth, goes back to my Sunday school days. This is where I first learned to sing Silent Night as we sang it every year in our Christmas program (usually right before receiving our annual Sunday School gift of new pajamas!) This song also takes me back to my heritage for it was originally written in German as Stille Nacht, and my Mother taught me to sing it properly in German.
I loved the harmony, so joined in anytime we went caroling or sang Christmas carols as a group, for Silent Night was sure to be included. Most of us have also taken part in at least one Christmas Eve service which ended with the dimming of electric lights and the lighting of candles as all arose to join in the reflective singing of Silent Night.
Since Silent Night is officially considered a Christmas carol, many of us grew up singing it, not only in church, but in school programs, and at Christmas parties and celebrations. We heard it in the marketplace and saw it in films and movies. It was part of the season while growing up and even today, remains part of the season and celebration of Christmas!
Yet the best reason I love to hear or sing Silent Night is for what it does inside of me, as it never fails to touch me and soothe my soul. It brings calm to my spirit, peace to my heart, joy to my face, and tears to my eyes. For it reminds me again and again that because Christ came 2000 years ago to bring hope to a troubled world, we too, can have this same hope today in our own troubled world.
It has been argued that the night in question, so long ago, was not necessarily what we would consider a Silent Night, what with the barn and the animals and the birth itself. Still, the fact remains that the One who is the Source of peace came with purpose and promise that long ago night. This to me makes it the holiest of Holy Nights.
It seems most folks are unaware of the humble beginnings and rich history that makes Silent Night even more endearing. With today’s access to websites, history, and documentaries, I was able to glean additional insights to share regarding this familiar song:
• The original poem, Stille Nacht, was written in a small town in Austria by young priest, Josef Mohr, in 1816.
• The music to Stille Nacht was added two years later by Franz Gruber, a teacher and organist. A crisis with a church organ created the need for a Christmas Eve song that could be sung with guitar accompaniment.
• Stille Nacht spread throughout Europe until 1854 without anyone really knowing where it came from or who had written it.
• About twenty years after it was written, a well-known family of singers, the Rainers, from an Alpine village, introduced Stille Nacht to the United States in New York City’s Trinity Church.
• Stille Nacht was translated into English as Silent Night in 1863.
• Silent Night has since been translated into more than 300 languages.
• Christmas Eve 1914, WW1 – an unofficial ceasefire was declared where both sides (German and British) took part in a Christmas truce, laid down their weapons and sang Silent Night together.
• Since 1978 the United States copyright office had registered 733 recordings of Silent Night by various performing artists. This caused Time Magazine to declare Silent Night the ‘Most popular Christmas song ever.’
• In 2011, the United Nations declared Silent Night to be an item of intangible cultural heritage.
As we continue to join hearts and voices to sing the familiar words to Silent Night, let us be mindful that while it was written for the comfort of people and praise to God, we were indeed given a treasure in this beloved carol. An established message of peace that has bridged cultures and generations!
Silent Night
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
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born
Silent night, holy night!
Wondrous star, lend thy light.
With the angels let us sing
Alleluia to our King
Christ the Savior is here
Jesus the Savior is here
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love’s pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Stille Nacht
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
(Originally written in German)
Words: Josef Mohr, 1816 / Melody: Franz Xaver Gruber, 1818
Sources: Internet: The Story Behind the Classic Christmas Carol Silent Night / Documentary: The First Silent Night (The Carol that United the World) Copyright © 2014 by PBS, now available on Prime Video; / Wikipedia sources / Internet: The Humble Origins of Silent Night (2018, Sarah Eyerly)