I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Vintage illustration of the Christmas carol, "I Heard the Bells" with
lyrics, from the CC.

       "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is a Christmas carol based on the 1863 poem "Christmas Bells" by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The song tells of the narrator's despair, upon hearing Christmas bells during the American Civil War, that "hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men". The carol concludes with the bells carrying renewed hope for peace among men. 

       In 1861, two years before writing this poem, Longfellow's personal peace was shaken when his second wife of 18 years, to whom he was very devoted, was fatally burned in an accidental fire. Then in 1863, during the American Civil War, Longfellow's oldest son, Charles Appleton Longfellow, joined the Union Army without his father's blessing. Longfellow was informed by a letter dated March 14, 1863, after Charles had left. "I have tried hard to resist the temptation of going without your leave but I cannot any longer", he wrote. "I feel it to be my first duty to do what I can for my country and I would willingly lay down my life for it if it would be of any good." Charles was soon appointed as a lieutenant but, in November, he was severely wounded in the Battle of Mine Run. Charles eventually recovered, but his time as a soldier was finished.

       Longfellow wrote the poem on Christmas Day in 1863. "Christmas Bells" was first published in February 1865, in Our Young Folks, a juvenile magazine published by Ticknor and Fields. References to the Civil War are prevalent in some of the verses that are not commonly sung. The refrain "peace on Earth, goodwill to men" is a reference to the King James Version of Luke 2:14.

Casting Crowns sings, "I heard the bells on Christmas Day"

A second version here.

Illuminated Christmas Carol Pages

These cleaned original illuminated pages are of The First Christmas Carol would make charming greeting card art for this year's Christmas Season. These two are from the 1800s and have been cleaned for visitors here. Don't forget to write a handwritten note to your loved ones using unique prints from our collections.

More Illustrated Christmas Carols:

• "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
• "A Song for Christmas"

Sampling the punch or egg nog...

        Retro illustrations of men and women sampling the punch or egg nog at a party. These come from the 1950s and are only in black and white.

The hostess samples here homemade
punch before a party.

This punch bowl is as big as the man standing
above it! Merry Christmas text.

This secretary makes one potent egg nog for all her office
business partners. Is it the egg nog or mistletoe their
looking forward to?

More Christmas Egg Nog:

• Christmas Egg Nog - text and illustration
• Christmas Party Punch - invitations, 3 versions
  

Good Yule Postcards!

A postcard showing the nisse or
 tomte delivering gifts.

       Jultomten, or just tomten, is the being who brings the gifts at Julafton (the evening of December 24). The gifts are called julklappar, and are probably a modern version of the Yule log. Jultomten does not climb down the chimney, he delivers the gifts in person. This task is often performed by an old man who secretly dresses up as Jultomten and knocks at the door with a sack of gifts.

A small girl rides a a Gävle goat.

       The function of the Yule goat has differed throughout the ages. In a Scandinavian custom similar to the English tradition of wassailing, held at either Christmas or Epiphany, young men in costumes would walk between houses singing songs, enacting plays and performing pranks. This tradition is known from the 17th century and still continue in certain areas. The group of Christmas characters would often include the Yule goat, a rowdy and sometimes scary creature demanding gifts.

These nisse or tomte ride a Gävle goat.

       Julebukking is a Scandinavian Christmas tradition. Between Christmas and New Year's Day, people wearing masks and costumes (Julebukkers) go door to door, where neighbors receiving them attempt to identify who is under the disguise. In one version of Julebukking, people go from door to door singing Christmas songs. After they have sung, they are usually awarded with candy. Another tradition requires that at least one person from the visited household join the band of Julebukkers and continue to the next household.

Jenny Eugenia Nyström was a painter and illustrator who is mainly known
 as the person who created the Swedish image of the jultomte on numerous
Christmas cards and magazine covers, thus linking the Swedish version of
Santa Claus to the gnomes and tomtar of Scandinavian folklore.
The postcard above is by her.

       The Christmas goat is mentioned in many older Christmas songs dated back to the late 19th and early 20th century, when the Santa Claus tradition had not been fully established throughout Sweden. Among the songs are Julbocken, Julpolska and Raska fötter springa tripp, tripp, tripp.

A Gift Tag for Food Gifts

       A retro Christmas dinner gift tag for those of you gifting food stuffs, or restaurant experiences for family and friends. Here is Santa, Dad and a small boy ready to consume a giant holiday turkey with all the trimmings. text "Christmas" and a tag for you to fill out... all in greyscale