1 00:00:02,130 --> 00:00:06,540 Steve Webb: It's day 22 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season 2 00:00:06,540 --> 00:00:09,720 of the Lifespring White Christmas show hosted by my good 3 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:13,860 friend James Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me the OG 4 00:00:13,890 --> 00:00:18,030 Godcaster Steve Webb of Lifespringmedia.com. Christmas 5 00:00:18,030 --> 00:00:21,150 is almost here we will have the drawing to find out who will win 6 00:00:21,150 --> 00:00:24,180 an autographed copy of Brian Duncan's and Neil's soul 7 00:00:24,180 --> 00:00:27,450 Christmas CD but there's still time for you to enter. For 8 00:00:27,450 --> 00:00:30,540 details go to Lifespringmedia.com slash day 9 00:00:30,540 --> 00:00:35,280 nine to see how that's Lifespringmedia.com slash da y 10 00:00:35,310 --> 00:00:39,480 numeral nine no spaces. You could be the winner. Gifts for 11 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:42,930 your Christmas podcast hosts are welcome at Lifespringmedia.com 12 00:00:44,700 --> 00:00:46,200 slash support. 13 00:00:52,740 --> 00:00:56,430 James Cooper: Hello, and welcome to date 22 of the 2009 14 00:00:56,460 --> 00:01:00,090 Lifespring Why Christmas Show. Back on day five. You might 15 00:01:00,090 --> 00:01:03,180 remember I told you the story behind one of our most popular 16 00:01:03,180 --> 00:01:07,080 Christmas carols Silent Night. But what are Christmas carols 17 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,320 and why don't we just call them Christmas songs? Well, the word 18 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:14,460 carol actually means a dance or song of praise and joy and 19 00:01:14,460 --> 00:01:17,100 carols were originally written to be sung during all four 20 00:01:17,100 --> 00:01:20,940 seasons. But the tradition has only really kept a Christmas so 21 00:01:20,970 --> 00:01:24,300 we have Christmas carols. The first Christmas carols are 22 00:01:24,300 --> 00:01:27,120 written by people in the early church to try and stop people 23 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,210 from singing their old pagan carols that they sang during the 24 00:01:30,210 --> 00:01:33,840 winter solstice festivals. But there was a problem. Most of 25 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,540 these early Christian carols were written in Latin, a 26 00:01:36,540 --> 00:01:39,360 language that only people in the church or very well educated 27 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,480 people could understand. So most normal people didn't have a clue 28 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,140 what the carols were about. But this was changed in 1223. 29 00:01:46,260 --> 00:01:49,320 Winston Francis of Assisi had the radical idea of actually 30 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,560 writing something that people's own language. When Oliver 31 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,190 Cromwell and the Puritans came to power in England in 1647. 32 00:01:56,490 --> 00:01:59,700 They banned Christmas carol singing and carols weren't 33 00:01:59,700 --> 00:02:02,370 really sung again until Victorian times when they became 34 00:02:02,370 --> 00:02:06,420 more popular. New carol services were created, and people started 35 00:02:06,420 --> 00:02:09,480 singing carols in the streets. Perhaps the most famous 36 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,810 Christmas carol service of all is the one from King's College, 37 00:02:12,810 --> 00:02:16,380 Cambridge, the service of nine lessons and carols. It takes 38 00:02:16,380 --> 00:02:19,560 place on Christmas Eve afternoon here in the UK, and is broadcast 39 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,490 around the world on BBC Radio. If you'd like to know more about 40 00:02:23,490 --> 00:02:26,250 Christmas carols, their history and some of the stories behind 41 00:02:26,250 --> 00:02:28,830 the most famous carers of all, then head on over to 42 00:02:28,860 --> 00:02:32,400 whychristmas.com and the Christmas customs section. Make 43 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,830 sure you come back tomorrow when Steve will be telling you about 44 00:02:34,830 --> 00:02:38,790 one of the most favorite parts of Christmas the presence today 45 00:02:38,790 --> 00:02:41,550 I'm going to leave you with a Christmas carol that's one of my 46 00:02:41,550 --> 00:02:44,490 favorites. Oh Come All Ye Faithful and it's a beautiful 47 00:02:44,490 --> 00:02:46,170 version by Jill Parr.