Silent Night by Home Free

Jeff Westover Christmas Features, Christmas Music 0 Comment
Silent Night by Home Free

Silent Night is a simple song. It tells a simple story. It features a simple tune. It offers simple harmonies. That is why so many modern versions of Silent Night drive me crazy. It is just so often very over done (Look up Beyonce on YouTube — it’s an ear-bleeder). That is why I like this more subdued traditional take just released by Home Free: What I like about Home Free is that they take sacred songs seriously. There is nothing remotely secular about Silent Night. We love secular Christmas music and feature a lot of it but sacred ChristmasRead more

Carol of the Bells

Jeff Westover Christmas Features, Christmas Music 0 Comment
Carol of the Bells

The story of Carol of the Bells is hardly as well known as the song itself. It has been re-interpreted over and over by a variety of artists — most recently by Lindsey Stirling: Stirling, who seems to command you watch as much as listen, captures the original spirit of Carol of the Bells simply by making it more about the music than of Christmas. Such was the case originally with Carol of the Bells. The song was composed by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914, who crafted the piece based on traditional Ukrainian folk chants that welcomed the NewRead more

The House of Seven Santas

Jeff Westover Christmas Features, Christmas Stories 0 Comment
The House of Seven Santas

Editor’s Note: On December 1st, 2017 seven Christmas podcasters came together to share the 1912 short story The House of Seven Santas. MyMerryChristmas.com participated by providing the concluding segment of the story as can be heard via the player below. https://mymerrychristmas.com/mlp/mlpepisode22.mp3 To start at the beginning, please visit the Christmas Past Podcast hosted by Brian Earl to hear Part 1 of the story. Then jump to the Can’t Wait for Christmas Podcast with Sir Tim Babb, to hear Part 2. Part #3 belongs to the merry movie crew at Tis the Podcast — Anthony, Julia and Tom. Joseph Wade ofRead more

The Christmas Song and Dance with an Angel

Jeff Westover Christmas Music 0 Comment
The Christmas Song and Dance with an Angel

Imagine the scene — a man deep in the throes of despair weeps in prayer to God, asking for forgiveness of his many sins. But he is not a man one would think to be burdened down by the guilt of wrong doing. He was a monk. But life was not going well for Henrich Suso and like many people of faith he blamed himself for his misfortunes. After his prayer was finished, he climbed into bed, sure to have another fitful night of tossing and turning over his worries. Somewhere in the dark of night as he slumbered aRead more

Reaching Out to Serve at Christmas

Jeff Westover Christmas News, Christmas Online, Christmas Opinion 0 Comment
Reaching Out to Serve at Christmas

Christmas represents for many people an ideal time to think of others. Many have time off, some have extra resources and most have a desire to lend a hand at this time of the year. That is one of the keystone message of Christmas. But finding opportunities to serve is not always so obvious for some. We offer something simple, something inexpensive and something nearly everyone can do: send cards through Operation Christmas Cheer. Operation Christmas Cheer was born of a desire to give back as part of our Annual Christmas Card Exchange. We knew how WE felt receiving cardsRead more

An Elf Named Moe

Jeff Westover Christmas Music , 0 Comment
An Elf Named Moe

Every once in a while a Christmas song comes along that speaks such truth we just have to share it. That’s way it is with Carl Stuck’s new song, An Elf Named Moe. Moe, you see, is one hard working elf. Carl bumped into him at the airport one day and Moe told him all about it: We love the idea that Santa does not do it all alone. In fact, we believe in a world where elves not only carry a big load but they have stories to tell of their own and personalities nearly quite as big asRead more

Over the River and Through the Wood

Jeff Westover Christmas Features, Thanksgiving 1 Comment
Over the River and Through the Wood

“Over the River and through the wood” is a phrase endeared to many that evokes the memory of Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings. Many know it as a poem first, many more know it as a Christmas song. Christmas was never it’s original intention. It was always, from its title forward, meant to be a tribute to Thanksgiving. It was written by an extraordinary woman named Lydia Maria Child in 1844 – decades before Christmas and Thanksgiving became federal holidays. Despite that fact, the poem was based on a nostalgic longing for the Thanksgiving holiday celebrations of her New England youth.Read more

Pumpkin Pie Poetry

Jeff Westover Christmas Features, Christmas Foods, Thanksgiving 0 Comment
Pumpkin Pie Poetry

The Thanksgiving of old America included a serious reverence the people of the 18th and 19th centuries had for pumpkin pie. Said the editor of the Philadelphia Ledger in 1837 “that he should like to be thrown into a pumpkin pie as large as Lake Superior, only deeper, and obliged it eat his way out.” Some historians and foodies would have you to believe that pumpkin was a staple of the early American diet. But don’t you believe it. There was nothing normal or routine or regular about it. It has been, from the very beginning, a harvest food foreverRead more

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Jeff Westover Christmas Music, Sacred Christmas, Thanksgiving 1 Comment
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing has become for many an anthem of Thanksgiving — as close to a Thanksgiving carol as there can be. The song was written in the mid-18th century by a 22-year old theology student. His name was Robert Robinson. As a youth, Robinson was a bit of a wild child, having lost his father when he was just 5 years old. As he entered his teen years he became too much for his mother to handle so she shipped him off to London to apprentice for a barber. At 17, Robinson set out on aRead more

Ode to Joy to the World

Jeff Westover Christmas Music 0 Comment
Ode to Joy to the World

Tis the season for new Christmas videos and the Piano Guys just released their newest Christmas tune titled Ode to Joy to the World. Yes, it’s a mash-up as only the Piano Guys do it and it’s a great, if not joyful, set-up to the season ahead. Take a look and a listen: Joy to the World is actually a hymn, written by one of the most prolific hymn writers in history, Isaac Watts. As a child, Watts showed remarkable propensity for rhyme, much to his father’s chagrin. After the family prayer time, one day, the sober minded elder WattsRead more