Some time before Christmas 2002 I remember attending a carol service at a football ground in Exeter. I don't remember the details, but I guess some friends must have invited me. I was training to be a teacher at Exeter University and some of my friends were Christians. Singing carols together was great fun, although at that time I would probably have described myself as an agnostic. I had never been taken to church as a child; I had never chosen to go as an adult; I knew very little about the Bible. I don't think I would have described myself as an atheist at that time, because I did think there was "something there", but the question of what that something was didn't bother me. I did not worship the God whose incarnation was celebrated in the carols I sang, but that did not stop me singing them. I was not at all irritated at being invited to what was effectively a church service. Who doesn't love singing carols? Carols are basically Christmas hymns. Those of us who don't attend church don't sing hymns the rest of the year, so why sing them at Christmas?
Maybe it's partly nostalgia. Singing Christmas carols reminds us of our childhood, when we might have gone carolling as schoolchildren or sung in Christmas concerts. The two secondary schools I attended held carol services in churches at Christmas and I loved belting out the descant to 'O come all ye faithful' - despite being an ardent atheist in my early teens. I think that is probably changing, with schools becoming more sensitive to the range of religious views represented among their students, and Christianity becoming more and more a minority interest. Maybe as the years go by Christmas carols will not have the same nostalgic power. Personally I have no interest in forcing Christianity down anyone's throats, and if people stop singing carols, that's their choice. But I do feel that Christmas carols are musically and poetically so much more interesting than Frosty the Snowman or All I Want for Christmas. When I hear O Holy Night, I get goosebumps, and I don't think it's only because I'm a Christian.
Maybe we also like carols because we like to mark the season. One of the things I noticed during my gap year in Japan was how much more the Japanese notice the passing seasons. There are particular fruits and vegetables that are eaten at certain times of year, and rituals such as 'hanami' in Spring - looking at cherry blossoms. The 'cherry blossom front' is reported on the news, so that people will know when they can catch the flowers at their best. In autumn people dig up bamboo shoots and eat them - they are absolutely delicious - and contemplate the changing colours of the leaves. Christmas carols, fir trees, decorations, fake snow, fairy lights, mince pies - these mark out a special season at the end of the year.
Perhaps too there's the element of tradition. Watching Carols at King's on Christmas Eve is a tradition which is not only popular with Christians. We all have our own family Christmas traditions, and there is something comforting about doing the same things year after year. As someone who enjoys change and variety, I will confess that I too find certain traditions very comforting. Singing Christmas carols is a tradition that I have enjoyed for many years. Now that I am a Christian, I enjoy singing them even more; added to the beautiful words and melodies is the knowledge that they speak of a God who has come to be with his people.
Maybe it's partly nostalgia. Singing Christmas carols reminds us of our childhood, when we might have gone carolling as schoolchildren or sung in Christmas concerts. The two secondary schools I attended held carol services in churches at Christmas and I loved belting out the descant to 'O come all ye faithful' - despite being an ardent atheist in my early teens. I think that is probably changing, with schools becoming more sensitive to the range of religious views represented among their students, and Christianity becoming more and more a minority interest. Maybe as the years go by Christmas carols will not have the same nostalgic power. Personally I have no interest in forcing Christianity down anyone's throats, and if people stop singing carols, that's their choice. But I do feel that Christmas carols are musically and poetically so much more interesting than Frosty the Snowman or All I Want for Christmas. When I hear O Holy Night, I get goosebumps, and I don't think it's only because I'm a Christian.
Maybe we also like carols because we like to mark the season. One of the things I noticed during my gap year in Japan was how much more the Japanese notice the passing seasons. There are particular fruits and vegetables that are eaten at certain times of year, and rituals such as 'hanami' in Spring - looking at cherry blossoms. The 'cherry blossom front' is reported on the news, so that people will know when they can catch the flowers at their best. In autumn people dig up bamboo shoots and eat them - they are absolutely delicious - and contemplate the changing colours of the leaves. Christmas carols, fir trees, decorations, fake snow, fairy lights, mince pies - these mark out a special season at the end of the year.
Perhaps too there's the element of tradition. Watching Carols at King's on Christmas Eve is a tradition which is not only popular with Christians. We all have our own family Christmas traditions, and there is something comforting about doing the same things year after year. As someone who enjoys change and variety, I will confess that I too find certain traditions very comforting. Singing Christmas carols is a tradition that I have enjoyed for many years. Now that I am a Christian, I enjoy singing them even more; added to the beautiful words and melodies is the knowledge that they speak of a God who has come to be with his people.
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