Unexpected Joy: What Joy and Christmas Carols Have in Common
Imagine a cozy winter scene: the crackle of a fireplace, the smell of chestnuts roasting over the flame, and a chill in the air turning noses red. You might recognize these images from a beloved holiday song—one that talks about yuletide carols and folks dressed up like Eskimos. But here’s the surprise: "The Christmas Song" wasn’t born in a winter wonderland at all. It wasn’t written while someone was staring out the window at a snow-covered scene.
Instead, two men—Mel Tormé and Bob Wells— wrote it while standing in the sweltering heat of a summer’s day. Trying to cool off, they started thinking of images and pictures of cold things. That’s where the lyrics to the song actually began: chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose, and Christmas carols being sung by a choir. Little did they know, their summer brainstorm would turn into a holiday classic.
Unexpected Carols
You might say "The Christmas Song" became a holiday classic unintentionally. And that’s not the only one. Did you know that "Jingle Bells” was originally written for Thanksgiving? And "Sleigh Ride," the famous orchestral arrangement, was simply a fun performance about riding in a sleigh and was not intended for any particular holiday. These songs weren’t intended for Christmas, but they fit the season so well that people embraced them.
There’s one more song that was not originally intended to be a Christmas song: "Joy to the World.” The famous hymn that Isaac Watts wrote was never intended as a Christmas carol. Watts wrote it as a reflection on Psalm 98, a psalm celebrating God’s kingship and the joy of His coming kingdom. Hymnologists point out that the lyrics never mention the Nativity; instead, they celebrate the Lord’s future reign. Yet over time, this hymn about the Second Coming found a natural home in the Christmas season, as believers connected its joyful message with the celebration of Christ’s birth.
Joy and Unexpected Challenges
As I was thinking about how some songs found their way into the Christmas tradition unexpectedly, it dawned on me that other things can get unexpectedly connected to Christmas, too. The holidays are not always easy. Sometimes life brings us difficult moments that become entwined with the holiday season. Maybe it’s the memory of a loved one who’s no longer here, or a personal challenge that surfaces during this time of year. These difficult experiences can become part of our Christmas story, too.
But there’s hope found in that one Christmas carol: Joy to the World! The true joy of Christmas can still thrive even during difficult seasons. For the believer, that joy is deeply rooted in the birth of Jesus, who brings profound hope and light into our lives. And it’s made stronger by the fact that He will soon come again, and all sorrow will turn to joy forever.
May the unexpected challenges of the season be overwhelmed by His unquenchable joy!
