Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht

Growing up in my small Mennonite Brethren church we had a tradition that all of the children looked forward to every year. After the Children's Christmas Program, all of the kids would receive 'Toot' bags. These Toot bags were small brown bags filled with an orange, nuts, a candy cane and a small assortment of candy.

Another tradition the same night was singing Silent Night in German. When I was a kid, our church was probably at least 80% German with many of the grandparents still speaking Low German – mine included! This is a very fond memory of mine, the entire congregation singing in German, a capella. Beautiful!

Here's a little history on Silent Night. The world's most popular Christmas carol was first sung in Austria on Christmas Eve 1818. The melody was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863). The words came from the pen of pastor Joseph Franz Mohr (1792-1848). The song was almost lost forever after its first performance in a church in Oberndorf (near Salzburg) to Gruber's guitar accompaniment.

The first known performance of "Stille Nacht" in the United States took place near New York City's Trinity Church. In 1839 the Rainer family singers of Austria included the German version of "Stille Nacht" in their repertoire during an appearance at the Alexander Hamilton Monument near the church, some 24 years before an English version of the carol would be published.

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Halleluja,
Tönt es laut von fern und nah:
Christ, der Retter ist da!
Christ, der Retter ist da!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund'.
Christ, in deiner Geburt!
Christ, in deiner Geburt!