(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Silent Night: The Real Story [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-12-23 Around Christmas, I like to share this little ditty I whipped up a few years ago (even though it’s not a ditty, and I didn’t whip anything). It involves the Nativity and the Christmas carols that have shaped our narrative of that story. I’ve often thought: ‘Mary and Joseph finally get the baby to sleep, and here comes a young boy asking to play the drums.’ This is why I put this together: to giggle at a time when so much of our world seems to be thrown into chaos. For me, it all started with the carol, “Silent Night,” the most famous Christmas carol in history: Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright. However, as Christmas carols go, Silent Night doesn’t make a lot of sense. We have to look first at the setting for the nativity. Joseph was trying to find lodging in a little town called Bethlehem. The town was packed. As is often the case with Christmas traveling, they should have booked ahead. So they ended up in the only place they could find… a barn. The nativity is the story of a woman—giving birth—in a barn. It’s too bad she couldn’t yell at Joseph: “You did this to me.” On top of that, there is a barn full of animals, who are probably stressed themselves. So the animals are going to be making a lot of noise. Down the road, the neighbors are being woken up by the racket, so now they’re probably making a commotion. On top of that, Hark the Herald Angles are singing the First Noel to shepherds out in the field just outside town, again disturbing the neighbors. The Wind calls out to the little lamb and asks, “Do you Hear what I Hear?” The lamb, in turn, asks the shepherd boy the same question. The shepherd boy asks the king, “Do you know what I know?” Well, the king didn’t, so the shepherd boy told him—in song. When the king heard that, he proclaimed to the people everywhere: “Listen to what I say!” Meanwhile, back in the stable, the donkey, shaggy and brown, brags, “I carried his mother uphill and down; I carried her safely to Bethlehem town.” Not to be outdone, the cow chimes in: “I gave him my manger for a bed.” Now, the sheep, dove, and camel declare their contributions. Let’s not forget the Little Drummer Boy, pa rum pum pum pum, and his gift to the tiny baby. “I played my best for him,” and some more pa rum pum pum pums. The ox and lamb are keeping time. Now, the neighbors are unquestionably awake, and they must be upset. They’re making their way to the barn right now to do some rum pum pum pumming on their own. Their anger is tempered, though, when they see the Three Kings of Orient are bearing gifts these travelers afar. After all, they have gold, frankincense, and myrrh. What star were they following, Onstar? Now we have the Carol of the Bells, sweet silver bells. All seem to say, throw cares away. Good Christian Men are rejoicing, calling O Come all ye Faithful. So the faithful are coming, and here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green. Are you sure this isn’t going to wake the baby? It’s a cacophony of sound. Silent night? Try telling that to the neighbors. I wish you a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays… whichever you prefer. To be honest, if you prefer Merry Christmas, I will wish you Happy Holidays. If you prefer Happy Holidays, I’ll wish you a Merry Christmas. I just like to stir things up. P.S. Keep Chet away from open fire. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/12/23/2213572/-Silent-Night-The-Real-Story?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/