Christmas Eve. I recall many feasts and festivities and midnight Masses singing and candles. The song I best recall is Silent Night.
Tonight in 1818, the first performance of Silent Night was given at St. Nikolauskirche in Oberndorf Austria. It has been sung in Churches and in public the World over ever since.
The music was composed by Franz Gruber an Austrian village schoolmaster and the words were written by a young priest stationed in Oberndorf, Joseph Mohr.
Silent Night was sung by English, German and French troops on this night in 1914 during the famous Christmas Truce when enemy soldiers spontaneously left their trenches and shared a brief respite from war.
Silent night is recognized by the United Nations as part of humankind’s intangible cultural heritage.
Tonight, wherever you are, sing Silent Night and be gentled by its words and melody as it has gentled us all.
– Posted by Douglas Racionzer (serendipiday.blogspot.com)