Book Review: CHRISTMAS BOOKS

Every song has a story, Christmas songs have fascinating stories about how they came to be.  Most of us know the story behind Silent Night,It was 1817 in Austria,  the organ at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, wasn’t working on Christmas eve, Joseph Mohr , the assistant priest had to do something to save the Christmas Eve service.  He took a story he had written 2 years earlier to a schoolteacher, Franz Gruber, in just a few hours, the music was written to go with the text.  The two met by candlelight at the church, practiced a few chords and  . . . . . that was it a Holiday Classic was first performed.  Silent Night is the most recorded song of all time.

This is just a brief summary of one of the 31 stories behind our beloved Christmas Songs.  In our family, it is fun to read the story about the song, then sing the song each night in December.  Perhaps your family will enjoy starting a new tradition!

This book has a wonderful collection of Christmas stories categorized by , Advent, At the Birth of the Child, The Christmas Night, Christmas in all the World, From Christmas to Epiphany.  All stories are listed by the age they would be appropriate for, some familiar stories, many unfamiliar, all very appropriate for the season.

A quick look at the index lists such stories as The Story of the Other Wise Man, by Henry van Dyke, The Christmas Rose, by Selma Lagerlog, The Troll Who wanted to be Human, Jeanna Oterdahl, The Candle by Willem Brandt.  All wonderful stories, and there are many, many more. 

We have read many of these stories during the month of December, a great way to welcome the holiday.  If you are looking for a way to spend more time with your children, and less time shopping this year, give these two books a try they will truly add to the spirit of your Christmas!