is one of our favourite Christmas carols.
Written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who in 1861 suffered a very personal tragedy which inspired this beautiful song. An unusual heat wave in Massachusetts prompted Longfellow's wife, Fanny, to trim the heavy locks of their seven year old daughter, Edith. Fanny decided to preserve little Edie's curls in an envelope. As she heated wax to seal it, hot drops fell unnoticed onto her dress and caught on fire. Fanny rushed into Longfellow's study. Longfellow first tried to extinguish the flames with a rug, and when that failed he threw his body onto his wife, severely burning his face, arms and hands. Fanny Longfellow died the next morning. Fanny was buried three days later on their 18th wedding anniversary. Too ill from his burns and grief, Henry did not attend her funeral. (Hence Longfellow's trademark full beard arose from his inability to shave after this tragedy.)
This song is actually a love song—our love song and everyone's love song—full of peace and hope.
Our favourite lines from the song are these two verses:
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth," I said;
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men!"
With God anything is possible. Even happiness and peace in the worst situations is possible.
Happy Christmas week!
Written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who in 1861 suffered a very personal tragedy which inspired this beautiful song. An unusual heat wave in Massachusetts prompted Longfellow's wife, Fanny, to trim the heavy locks of their seven year old daughter, Edith. Fanny decided to preserve little Edie's curls in an envelope. As she heated wax to seal it, hot drops fell unnoticed onto her dress and caught on fire. Fanny rushed into Longfellow's study. Longfellow first tried to extinguish the flames with a rug, and when that failed he threw his body onto his wife, severely burning his face, arms and hands. Fanny Longfellow died the next morning. Fanny was buried three days later on their 18th wedding anniversary. Too ill from his burns and grief, Henry did not attend her funeral. (Hence Longfellow's trademark full beard arose from his inability to shave after this tragedy.)
This song is actually a love song—our love song and everyone's love song—full of peace and hope.
Our favourite lines from the song are these two verses:
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth," I said;
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep!
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men!"
With God anything is possible. Even happiness and peace in the worst situations is possible.
Happy Christmas week!
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