2009 Virtual Advent Tour: Day 2 ~ O Holy Night
So when I younger I was never a big fan of going to church. In fact, it’s safe to say I hated church- absolutely nothing I can think of that I disliked more except for maybe Lima beans. *Waits to be struck by lightning*
I was raised in the Baptist faith, and for me that meant marathon amounts of time listening to church announcements I didn’t want hear, long drawn out gospel songs that felt manipulative and worse were never ending, and just hours sitting in a a hot pew with overperfumed men and women wearing big hats.
I was so happy when I left church every Sunday, and it had nothing to do with loving the Lord and everything to do with being free for another week and the slice of pineapple cake that I got from the women who sold it on the street next door to the church. With me, it really does all come back to food! I did always like the sermon. I think that was the reader in me.
So yes- church too long, gospel songs too long, pineapple cake, heavenly; and then there is O Holy Night! Love that song! It actually opened me up to appreciating more gospel music and really got me into loving Christmas songs. I love lots of pop versions of the song and here are a few that I was able to find. No question that I love Mariah’s the best out of all of these. The one by Weezer is surprisingly good, and I liked the one by the Celtic ladies as well. Won’t you have a listen?
I also participated in the Advent tour last year and talked about my mom’s stuffing. Yum!
Today, for some more lovely Christmas music, check out Heather’s post at A High and Hidden Place. Jo at Once Upon A Bookcase talked about her Christmas Traditions and Family Dinner, Alleluialu at Bookend Crossing shared a poem called The Bones of Santa Claus.
Love Christmasy posts? Then check out more stops on the 2009 Virtual Advent Tour.
Thank you so much to Marg and Kailana for bringing this tour to us every year, and to Court for designing the lovely Advent Tour buttons.
23 Responses to “2009 Virtual Advent Tour: Day 2 ~ O Holy Night”
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Great post! I don’t actually know O Holy Night. Odd. I’m not religious myself, but I do like Bony M’s “Mary’s Boy Child/Oh My Lord”, and I believe that’s an amalgamation of two hymns. I love it! Thanks for linking to my post!
Jo´s last blog ..Review: Evermore by Alyson Noёl
I love “O Holy Night” it is one of my favourite carols. Great post for the second day of the Virtual Advent Tour!
Yeah… I hear you on the church thing! My mother technically changed religions when she married my father, but I still saw more Catholic stuff than anything else. I guess she never really gave it up! I really did not like going to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Especially since one year it was in French and then the next year it would be in English. My French could be better…
Great post! Thanks for joining in with the Virtual Advent again this year! Happy Holidays!
Kailana´s last blog ..Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
It is my opinion that O Holy Night is only good if sung by a really good singer. I think Mariah qualifies… that’s a good version.
I agree- good food can really make a day so much better! That’s why Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year
I also like how Christmas music, probably more than any other, has so many variations of it. It’s cool, even if not from a religious perspective, from a musical evolution one.
Aarti´s last blog ..Review: Fingersmith
O, Holy Night is my favorite Christmas song but I’ve always been a purist about it. I think it should only be sung by someone who can send chills down your spine when they sing it AND who doesn’t feel the need to add notes that aren’t supposed to be there. Now if singers want to play around with songs about Santa or Rudolph, knock yourself out!
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I love that song, whether sung by Johnny Mathis or Celine Dion or Mariah. It is the only Christmas song I remember hearing for the first time. I was in the car; my parents in the front, a family friend and I in the back. In the quiet darkness of the night this woman, Jane was her name, began singing this song. I was mesmerized by her voice and the words and I’ve loved it ever since.
Nan´s last blog ..Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie
Great choice of song! I also like Josh Groban’s version.
sprite´s last blog ..disorganized hodgepodge of stuff
This is one of my favourite carols as well!
Thanks so much for participating in the tour again this year.
O Holy Night is one of my all time favorite Christmas carols, but I never knew Weezer had a version of it. I agree with you – Mariah’s version is the best.
Kathy´s last blog ..Wondrous Words Wednesday
Sung well, this carol’s got enough power to freeze me in my tracks. It’s funny, I always kind of liked the church services around Christmas *because* there was more singing and less talking!
kiirstin´s last blog ..FreeVerse: When you drive the Queensborough roads at midnight (Ondaatje)
I love “O Holy Night” too, but I can’t sing it worth a darn. Only when I’m alone in the car….
Meryl´s last blog ..Photographer for Hire, Susceptible to Cute Families and Sweet Babies
I wasn’t big into going to services either! But holiday food? Ahhhhh, that’s another story.
Beth F´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday (December 2)
Oh, Holy Night is one of the carols that gives me shivers (of joy) whenever I hear it. It makes me happy just thinking about it. I enjoyed your post today with that lovely song included.
This is my ALL TIME favorite Christmas song. Have you ever heard Reba McIntyre sing it? That is the version I love the most – her voice on the high parts gives me chills … and I don’t even like her all that much!
Heather J.´s last blog ..Greatest Discoveries: Explorations That Changed History
Thanks for the glorious version of O Holy Night – definitely one of my favorite Christmas hymns. I totally enjoyed your candor about not getting into church when you were young. Church is as much a cultural thing as a spiritual thing. People grow into their own spirituality in their own time.
Enjoyed this stop on the Advent Tour!
Julia Smith´s last blog ..Thursday Thirteen – 135 – 13 Things That Kept Me Going During NaNoWriMo
Your post made me smile! I grew up in a Baptist church as well. All the fire and brimstone talk used to scare me when I was younger. I finally figured out how to sneak a book into church. I’d put it inside my bible and read during the sermon. Lightning hasn’t struck me dead yet so I guess God understood I was a little girl who didn’t know any better! ha!
Kathleen´s last blog ..Sunday Salon – A Very Productive Week
I have to admit I’m not much of a church go’er myself for many of the same reasons you list here. It’s crowded and sweaty and it doesn’t appeal to any parts of my claustrophobic self. I do, however, enjoy the music. Less so gospel but the cliscal and hymnal music that can be heard. Churches have great acoustics and make anything sound wonderful as it rises to the rafters.
Michelle´s last blog ..Challenge Me
We are a godless bunch in my family (non-practicing Protestants), so we never really “did” church at all (except for funerals and other “events” like that). So I do not have memories like yours. But I do remember going to church on the day of we got off school for the Christmas holidays, and I look back at that with fondness. I liked all the songs and know them to this day. In Denmark we do not sing carols in church (Protestantism is actually quite non-funky) but psalms. Many of them are beautiful and even though they are basically about God and religion and the birth of Jesus, I like them and they can put me in the Christmas spirit just like that.
Louise´s last blog ..What a surprise!! Book Blogger Holiday Swap package from Italy
Nothing like hearing Christmas carols! We may sing in the library next week.
debnance´s last blog ..Sunday Salon—Readathon—Advent Tour Stop—Children’s Christmas Picture Books
I love Andy William’s version of that song. I think this song is sung every year in our Christmas program at Church. I love that you associate pineapple cake with church.
Kaye´s last blog ..Tuesday Tales: 1st Blogoversary!