Christmas Traditions
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:13,14 NIV
A favorite holiday tradition from my youth is when the Christmas songs would be sung at family gatherings. Either my mother or one of my three aunts would accompany us on the piano. All the cousins and aunts and uncles joined in songs we had memorized in Sunday School and also in some that were less familiar. I am thankful for having learned them long ago so that I still know them now.
It is a blessed thing for believers to sing praises to God, no matter our age. While we do that throughout the year, at Christmas we have a particular reason to joyfully sing our praises. Christ the Savior is born! This is why the heavenly host of angels appeared on that first Christmas. They joyfully praised God for the wonderful gift of His Son coming to earth. They were joyful over the birth of Jesus! The favor of God rested on earth, for the Savior Jesus was here to bring peace between God and man.
Christians have been praising the Lord in song for centuries, and for many believers, the songs of Christmas are their favorite. One of the earliest songs in our hymnal is a Christmas song dating to the early 400’s! And so we continue to sing our carols of praise during the Christmas season yet today. We sing “Joy to the World!” remembering the great blessings we enjoy because the Lord has come! We sing “O Come, All Ye Faithful!” to adore Him who was born, Christ the Lord! We sing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” to proclaim with the angels that Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Of the Father’s love begotten, Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega, He the Source, the Ending He.
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see, Evermore and evermore.
The Lutheran Hymnal 98:1