Silent Night History and Christian Meaning

People, Places and Belief Behind a Popular Christmas Carol

Dec 19, 2008

Silent Night, Holy Night, a popular Christmas carol, began in a small church in 19th century Germany and continues to teach the Christian meaning of Christmas today.

Silent Night, Holy Night is heard on the radio, in shopping malls, and on holiday recordings by various artists, but the carol had its beginnings in a Bavaria, a region in Germany. This article will explore who wrote the carol "Silent Night," the ambiance where the carol was first performed, and the carol's Christian meaning.

Who Wrote Silent Night?

A legend tells of a stressful Christmas eve in a small town called Oberndorf in Bavaria. The local Catholic church's organ had just died that day in 1818, and the curate, a junior priest, named Father Mohr and the church's musician, Franz Gruber, scrambled to write music for the evening's service.

Father Mohr offered a poem he had written about Christmas Eve, and his talented colleague set the words to music. The result, "Silent Night,"captivated the worshippers, and the carol spread through Germany and, in turn, the rest of the world.

Scholars argue, however, that there is no evidence that "Silent Night" was written under pressure.

Evidence suggests the organ was not broken. Apparently, people in Bavaria enjoyed folk carols, simple melodies for choirs without organ accompaniment, in that region of the country to celebrate Jesus' birth on Christmas Eve. In addition, church musicians such as Franz Gruber, who wrote the music to "Silent Night," routinely improvised service music and wrote new music to celebrate the Christian life in worship.

For a skilled professional like Gruber, composing a simple, beautiful tune would have been part of a day's work.

Where Silent Night was First PerformedBavaria, a Catholic region of Germany, celebrated Jesus' birth with a midnight mass, or worship service in the Catholic tradition. The midnight mass would include sharing communion, reciting scripture readings, and singing with instrumental accompaniment. Believers entered the service on Christmas eve, very late in the evening, and exited very early Christmas morning to literally celebrate Jesus' birthday in church.

Traditionally, midnight masses in Bavaria at that time would include folk music, simple melodies written for people to sing, rather than complicated music written for professionals to perform. "Silent Night" is one such piece of folk music, written for the church's choir to sing with guitar accompaniment, but simple enough for everyone in the church to join in. Worshippers in Oberndorf, Bavaria that Christmas eve in 1818, who heard "Silent Night" for the very first time became the first of many to be enchanted by its plantive tone and stirring words.

Silent Night and Christian Meaning

The combination of the words and music of "Silent Night" indeed are part of the carol's charm. Father Mohr touched on fundamental elements of the Christian faith in his lyrics. Father Mohr imagined the scene at Jesus' birth, the very reason the worshippers bore the cold to attend mass at the local church, and described the meaning of the scene for Christians and the world.

Mohr sets the scene with the carol's refrain. "Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm all is bright." The singers find themselves in a new world, a world of hope and promise, where Jesus has just been born. Other players in Jesus' birth scene appear. The baby Jesus rests with the blessed Virgin Mary, his mother in verse 1. The shepherds see the angels singing in praise of Jesus birth in verse 2.

The third verse contains theological teachings about who baby Jesus is and why his birth scene is so significant for Christians then and now. Mohr describes the baby as "Son of God" and "the dawn of redeeming grace," in accordance with Christian teachings that Jesus, a member of the Holy Trinity, is the Son of God and that, as Son of God, Jesus is Savior and Redeemer of the World, indeed the source of all grace.

Silent Night and Peace in God

Mohr paints a peaceful scene of a newborn baby in "Silent Night" to communicate the hope of peace in Christ central to the Christian faith.

Indeed, the ending phrase of the refrain, "sleep in heavenly peace," applies to everyone who believes in Jesus as the Savior, for peace comes through accepting salvation through Christ. The term "peace" means resting in God and living in God's time, God's kingdom here on earth. The words seeking peace communicate to the audience a desire for God's kingdom in the world central to Christians' hope in Christ.

The words also paint a picture of what peace in Christ looks like. A quiet evening, rest, sleep, and calm all set the scene for a steadiness, trust, and a deep faith that is the ideal relationship between a believer and Christ. The tranquility and unity also echo the Christian hope that the world might be tranquil and unified when the kingdom comes.

The words "sleep in heavenly peace" eerily echo the phrase "rest in peace" said at a burial in many Christian traditions to trust a dead Christian's soul to heaven. Yet peace is not just for the dead, but for all those singing the carol who repeat "silent night" multiple times and, Christian doctrine teaches, for all who believe in the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

A Bavarian favorite, "Silent Night" continues to celebrate the holiday season and teach fundamentals about who Christians believe Jesus to be. Sung in setting all over the world this season, "Silent Night"'s hope for heaven peace continues.

Hugh Keyte and Andrew Parrott, editors. Oxford Book of Carols. Oxford University Press, 1998.

The copyright of the article Silent Night History and Christian Meaning in Christian Music is owned by Melissa Roberts. Permission to republish Silent Night History and Christian Meaning in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.