"Stories and Carols from around the World"
A Christmas Service composed by people from around the globe
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From: Anna Olschewski
Ethnic Group: Poland
Theme/Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12--The Wisemen
Story: On the night when the Christ-child was born, an old woman sat alone in her
little cottage, gazing into the flames that danced on her hearth. The old woman was glad
that she had a fire, that she could sleep warm in her snug little bed, that she did not
have to go out into the cold.
Suddenly came a rap on her door, and when she had opened it, three stately old men
entered her cottage. They had flowing white beards, and wore kingly robes. "We have
traveled far, Babouscka," they said, "and we stop to tell you of the Baby Prince
who has been born this night in Bethlehem. He comes to rule the world and to teach all men
and women to be loving and true. We carry Him gifts. Come with us, Babouscka!"
But she shrank back as she heard the storm beating mercilessly upon her little cottage.
So the old men journeyed on alone through the snow and the wind and the cold. Babouscka
could not sleep that night for thinking of the wonderful opportunity they had offered her
to see the Prince. At last she decided that, when the dawn came, she would set out alone
to find the Babe herself. In the morning she put on her heavy cloak, took up her staff,
filled a basket with wooden toys, and set out to find the Christ-child.
Up and down the roads she hurried, through woods and fields and towns, saying to all
whom she met; "I go to find the Christ-child. 'Where does he lie? But no one could
tell her the way. Each one shook his head and said, "Farther on, Babouscka, farther
on!"
So she traveled for years and years, and never found the child. In Poland they say that
she is still traveling, and that, on Christmas Eve, when children are fast asleep, she
comes softly through snowy fields and towns, wrapped in a cloak and carrying a basket.
Steadily she enters each house and holds a candle close to the little children's faces.
"Is he here?" she whispers. Then she shakes her head and turns away sorrowfully,
sighing, "Farther on, Babouscka, farther on!" But she leaves a toy from her
basket for each sleeping little one -- "For His sake," she whispers, and hurries
on through the night. And next morning, on Christmas day, when the children find toys in
their beds, they are told that Babouscka must have been there while they slept.
Carol/Poem: "Quickly On To Bethlehem" (Przybiezeli do Betlejem)
Giving their respects in all humility, to the Infant Jesus from their hearts, lovingly;
Glory to God on Highest, glory to God on Highest; and on earth, peace to men!
Oddawali swe uklony w pokorze, tobie z serca ochotnego, o Boze!
Chwala na wysokosci, Chwala na wysokosci, a pokoj na ziemi.
Found at www.wilsonweb.com/archive/xmas/stille-n.htm
Ethnic Group: Austria
Theme/Scripture: Christmas Eve/Luke 2:1-7
Story: The young priest was worried. Within 24 hours he was supposed to lead a
Christmas Eve service, but he had no music. The Salzach River that flowed near the village
church of Oberndorf, Austria, caused chronic moisture which had rusted the pipe organ.
Without the organ there would be no music. And what was Christmas Eve without music?
Father Josef Mohr had but recently come to this tiny village. The night of December 23
he had attended the town Christmas play. But instead of going home afterwards, he had
climbed the small mountain overlooking the town and soaked in the beauty and quiet of the
darkness. It was nearly midnight before he reached his room. And so in the wee hours of
December 24, 1818, he sat down to pen a new song, one which could be played on a
guitar--at least that wasn't broken.
"Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" he wrote. "Silent night, holy
night." The nighttime peacefulness of Oberndorf was fresh in his mind; beyond it he
could imagine Bethlehem, bathed in moonglow.
It wasn't long 'til the simple poem was finished. Now, perhaps he could sleep.
The next morning he brought the poem to his organist, Franz Grüber. "I know it's
the last minute," he must have said, "but could you put a tune to this song for
the service tonight? Something simple that I could accompany on the guitar?" Grüber
set about the task quickly and in a couple of hours he was done, just in time to rehearse
with the choir before the service. Mohr sang tenor, Grüber sang bass, and the service
went off beautifully with the new song. "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!"
A master organ builder eventually came to Oberndorf to repair the rusted organ, and
there learned of the carol. He copied the song and doubtless sang it as he worked on
organs in the neighboring villages. From him, two families of traveling folk singers,
similar to the Trapp Family Singers of "Sound of Music" fame, learned of the
song and sang it in concerts all over Europe. In 1834 the Strasser family performed it for
the king of Prussia, who ordered it sung every Christmas Eve by his cathedral choir. The
Rainer family singers brought it to America in 1839. By mid-century it had become popular
around the world, but no one could recall its composer.
The story of its fame was long to reach the tiny villages of Austria. But in 1854,
Franz Grüber sent a letter to the leading musical authorities with his claim to have
written the tune. In 1848 Father Mohr had died of pneumonia, but Grüber still had the
original manuscript to show, and gradually he was recognized as composer.
Sometimes the smallest churches make the biggest contributions. In this case, God
presented a most wonderful carol to the world from a tiny congregation, one that just
happened to be called St. Nicholas' Church of Oberndorf.
PW in PA
Ethnic Group: USA
Theme/Scripture:
Story: Two songs that are normally heard around Christmas but stop me cold all year
round are "What Child is This" and "Little Drummer Boy." David Bowie's
rendition was even acceptable in my sight, which i didn't expect.
It was Christmas Eve in New Orleans, and we'd crossed town, parket in the French
Quarter, and run several blocks to be at St. Louis Cathedral for Midnight Mass. This is a
tradition among numerous Naulins folks so it was no surprise that we were hardly through
the outermost portal. There would be no way to actually "see" what was going on
inside, but that wasn't important. Midnight Mass was the service of lessons and carols,
and I'd finally made it after all these years. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it. As do many
in New Orleans, I regard the Cathedral as a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to
worship there. All show - that sort of thing. Well, as I stood outside that cold night
singing the carols with renewed gusto I started hearing something very strange. The woman
behind me was singing my favorite carols in German, another in Italian, several in
Spanish, a few in some of the Asian languages. The carols were beautiful in all languages,
and "What Child is This" and Silent Night brought tears to my eyes. It was the
most beautiful worship service I have ever attended, and it had little to do with the
priest or the sanctuary. It was the people. The way the music brought people from all over
the world together and allowed us to put aside ethinc differences and tensions and sing
praises to the Newborn King. On the way home we walked past a man whom I recognized. He
was one of the regular street musicians. He'd been around for years, and I remembered when
he was younger how each day I walked past him on the way to and from school (yes, there is
a school or two IN the French Quarter. People do actually live there, although I took the
public bus in from the Irish Channel). He was playing "Little Drummer Boy" As I
walked up to give a dollar, he said "Tonight's not for money. Tonight is for the
Lord." And he played that song over and over again as its echos caressed my ears for
five - six blocks. That is how I think of Christmas, and the Peaceable Kingdom.
"Tonight's not for money," the prophet of the City said. "Tonight is for
the Lord." Grace and Peace to you all.
Little Drummer Boy - I've never heard this as a "carol" in church. MOre often
its used as an instrumental or a solo. How does one get a choir to sing
"ba-rump-pa-bump" anyway?
Ethnic Group: Mexico
Theme/Scripture: Worship at the foot of the cradle
Story: In Mexico, the story is told of a poor girl, Maria, and her little brother,
Pablo. The two loved the annual Mexican Christmas festival with its large manger scene,
but each year were disappointed that they had no money to buy a present for the baby
Jesus.
One Christmas Eve, Maria and Pablo stopped on their way to church to pick some weeds
growing along the roadside to give to the baby Jesus. The other children chided them for
their gift, but Maria and Pablo knew their gift was from the heart, and it was all they
could give. As they began to place their plants around the manger, the green-top leaves
miraculously turned into bright red petals. Soon the manger was surrounded by beautiful
star-shaped flowers--the first pointsettias.
The flame-red flower was brought to the United States more than 100 years ago by Dr.
Joel Poinsett, the country’s first ambassador to Mexico. Even though the story of
Maria and Pablo is legendary, it is a wonderful reminder to us that the most important
thing about Christmas is the attitude of the heart--our devotion to Christ.
A Venezuelan Carol that expresses this devotion:
Nino Lindo ("Child so lovely")--Tune Name: CARACAS
Nino lindo, ante ti me rindo, nino lindo eres tu mi Dios.
Child so lovely, here I kneel before you, child so lovely you are my God.
La vida, bien mio, y el alma tambien; te ofresco gustoso, rendido a tus pies.
All my life, my dear one, and all my soul as well; this is what I offer, joyously,
falling at your feet.
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