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<v Steve>Hi, this is Steve Webb, your OG Godcaster.

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<v Steve>You're about to hear the LifeSpring Advent Calendar, which was recorded in 2006.

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<v Steve>It's a daily show which will run right up to Christmas Day,

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<v Steve>so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

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<v Steve>Now, the story of Advent and Christmas is a timeless story, so it doesn't age.

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<v Steve>However, the links and the phone numbers mentioned on the podcast have all changed but one.

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<v Steve>WhyChristmas.com is still current and active,

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<v Steve>and it's the best Christmas information website on the Internet.

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<v Steve>LifeSpringPodcast.com now forwards you to LifeSpringMedia.com.

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<v Steve>And the phone number you'll hear on the show is changed to plus 1-951-732-8511.

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<v Steve>Welcome back to the LifeSpring Advent Calendar.

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<v Steve>It's day five, and I'm Steve Webb, your host.

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<v Steve>I don't know about you on that side of the show, but on this side of the show, doing this podcast is really starting to get me into a Christmassy mood.

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<v Steve>I wonder what's behind today's door.

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<v Steve>Now, let's get it open here.

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<v Steve>Zither Harp

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<v Music>Joyful and triumphant

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<v Music>Oh, come ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem

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<v Steve>Sorry about that, I couldn't help myself.

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<v Steve>But carols really do get me into the Christmas spirit.

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<v Steve>Actually, that's quite appropriate, as the word carol means

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<v Steve>a dance or song of praise and joy.

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<v Steve>So you can have carols about anything you want to praise.

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<v Steve>In fact, the first carols weren't anything to do with Christmas.

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<v Steve>They were pagan songs, sung at the ancient winter solstice festivals.

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<v Steve>The early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas.

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<v Steve>If you want to know how that happened, listen to the second Lifespring Advent calendar.

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<v Steve>Anyway, they took over the pagan solstice celebrations

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<v Steve>and gave people Christian songs to sing instead of their pagan ones.

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<v Steve>Well, James, what more can you tell us?

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<v James>The first recorded Christmas carol comes from the year 129,

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<v James>when a Roman bishop said that a song called Angel's Hymn

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<v James>should be sung at the Christmas services in Rome.

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<v James>Most early carols were written and sung in Latin,

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<v James>a language that ordinary people couldn't understand,

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<v James>so they weren't very popular.

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<v James>And during the Middle Ages,

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<v James>Christmas songs started to be written in people's own languages.

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<v James>One such carol was written in 1410, but only a very small fragment of it still exists.

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<v James>It was about Mary and Jesus meeting different people in Bethlehem.

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<v James>Most carols from this time and the Elizabethan period were untrue stories, rather loosely based on the Christmas story,

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<v James>and were seen more as an entertainment and were usually sung in people's homes rather than in churches.

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<v James>They were far too common to be sung in churches.

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<v James>Travelling singers or minstrels started singing these carols,

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<v James>and the words were normally changed for local people wherever they were travelling.

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<v James>One carol that changed like this over the years is I Saw Three Ships,

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<v James>and there are very, very many different versions of the words from different parts of the world.

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<v James>When the Puritans, led by Oliver Cromwell, came to power in England in 1647,

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<v James>the singing and carols was banned, along with most other Christmas celebrations.

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<v James>Some carols survived, but generally only as folk songs.

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<v James>A renaissance in carol singing occurred during Victorian times,

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<v James>when two Victorian gentlemen collected lots of old Christmas music from villages in England.

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<v James>Carols were then sung by official carol singers, known as waits.

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<v James>They only sang on Christmas Eve, which was also known as Watch Night or Wait Night,

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<v James>because of the shepherds who were watching and waiting with their sheep when the angels appeared to them.

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<v James>Also at this time, many orchestras and choirs were being started in the cities of England,

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<v James>and people wanted songs to sing, so carols and carol services became very popular.

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<v James>Many new carols were also written

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<v James>such as Good King Wenceslas

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<v James>and if you'd like to know the true

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<v James>and rather gruesome story

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<v James>behind that particular carol

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<v James>please visit whychristmas.com

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<v James>and have a look in the customs section

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<v James>I don't think it will be quite what you're expecting

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<v James>I couldn't imagine Christmas without carols

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<v James>I really enjoy the carols by candlelight service

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<v James>every year in my church

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<v James>and Christmas really officially starts in my house

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<v James>when we listen to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

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<v James>which is broadcast live on BBC Radio from King's College, Cambridge, on Christmas Eve afternoon.

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<v Steve>So keep listening to the Lifespring Advent Calendar to hear some more stories behind the carols.

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<v Steve>So that's day number five of the Lifespring Advent Calendar.

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<v Steve>I hope you enjoyed it.

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<v Steve>Today's music was Jill Parr singing O Come All Ye Faithful.

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<v Steve>And of course, our theme music is Brian Duncan and the Neil Soul Band doing This Christmas.

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<v Steve>Come on back tomorrow for day number six.

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<v Music>This song brings out the reason to be sung no whole year through.

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<v Music>Let this one gift last forever.

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<v Music>In the love that I get from you, it never gets old.

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<v Music>This Christmas.

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<v Music>It's the love I need.

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<v Music>And it's what I want.

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<v Music>This Christmas.

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<v Music>And it's what I want for you.

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<v Music>The story is told.

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<v Music>This Christmas.

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<v Music>Of a newborn love.

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<v Music>This Christmas.

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<v Music>It's a bad thing.