Songs of Yesterday: How Our Ancestors Sang the Holidays, Part 2

The holiday season is a time of joy. In times of war, on the battlefield and for those at home, the holiday season takes on even greater meaning. In her article, "Songs of Yesterday: How Our Ancestors Sang the Holidays, Part 2," Jean Hibben reflects on holiday songs born of wartime. With emphasis on the song, "Christmas Bells," better known as "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," written during the Civil War by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the author recalls and performs the song, including the more somber verses "almost lost to obscurity."

Songs of Yesterday: How our Ancestors Sang the Holiday, Part 1

The holiday season is the perfect time to reflect songs our ancestors and to consider their origin. This week, GenWeekly writer, Jean Hibben, known for her musical performances, introduces a new Songs of Yesterday series, with the article "Songs of Yesterday: How our Ancestors Sang the Holiday, Part 1." Full of fun and surprises, the real treat in this series is hearing the author perform the song. Many of the Songs of Yesterday, we might think to be much more dated than they actually are -- have you ever considered the origin of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"? And while many of us decry the commercialism of Christmas and the ever-present Santa Claus, this week's article suggests he may have closer ties to the original spirit of Christmas than one had imagined.