Christmas Songs: History and Origin Story
How bland and grey would our Christmases have been, had there not been Christmas carols or songs? In most places of the world today, the playing of Christmas carols on...
Born in 1181 or 1182 in Assisi, Italy, Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, commonly known as St. Francis of Assisi, came from a wealthy merchant family. His father, Pietro di Bernardone, traded in fine fabrics, and Francis grew up enjoying the privileges of wealth.
However, his life underwent profound changes that eventually led him to renounce his family’s affluence and embrace a life of poverty and service to God.
In his youth, Francis sought glory in military endeavors and was taken prisoner during a skirmish between Assisi and Perugia. This confinement marked a turning point.
Released in 1203, he underwent a series of spiritual experiences, including a vision in the dilapidated church of San Damiano, where he heard Christ instructing him to “rebuild my church.”
Initially interpreting this literally, Francis began repairing churches but eventually understood it as a call to spiritual renewal.
By 1209, he gathered a group of followers drawn to his message of poverty, simplicity, and devotion to God. Together, they traveled, preaching and living as itinerants, wholly dependent on the charity of others. Recognizing the potential of this burgeoning movement, Pope Innocent III verbally approved Francis’s Rule of Life, leading to the official establishment of the Franciscan Order.
Francis’s ideals, based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, centered on brotherly love, poverty, and joy. His order differed from others as they weren’t confined to monasteries but were active in the world, preaching and aiding the poor.
Francis’s health deteriorated rapidly after receiving the stigmata. He passed away on October 3, 1226. Just two years later, in 1228, he was canonized by Pope Gregory IX.
St. Francis’s legacy is immense. His order, divided into the Order of Friars Minor, the Poor Clares, and the Third Order of Saint Francis, continues his mission worldwide. His emphasis on living in harmony with all of creation, combined with his profound spirituality, has made him a universally beloved figure, transcending denominational boundaries.
How bland and grey would our Christmases have been, had there not been Christmas carols or songs? In most places of the world today, the playing of Christmas carols on...