I was eight years old, and our fourth grade classroom was abuzz with holiday craft activity—red and green construction paper, silver and gold glitter, dull scissors and sticky-white glue paste. Cheery ornaments and sparkly plastic tinsel hung from the windows. Homemade paper chains drooped from the chalk-filled blackboards on the walls. Bardin Elementary School, circa mid-December 1968.

At the appointed time, our teacher ushered us into the multi-purpose room where choir risers were set up. As the adults placed us in our spots, we readied ourselves to sing the Christmas songs mimeographed on sheets of paper clutched in our little hands.

Fa la la la la! I remember singing all the classics: “Jingle Bells,” “Deck the Halls,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and the obligatory encore, “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.” (What is figgy pudding anyway?) But alongside these songs were also the carols: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Away In A Manger,” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem?” Sacred and secular both celebrated together, sung by elementary-aged children in a public school.

It seems that there’s no room at the inn for these traditional carols anymore. No one goes door-to-door caroling. Hymn books are obsolete. Separation of church and state have voided these songs from many public places. And even in our modern churches—one of the only places left where community singing is encouraged—there is a bit of a dismissal of these antiquated tunes. And I wonder if this present generation might be the last to actually know these songs.

Am I suffering from an advanced case of chronic nostalgia? Perhaps. There’s a natural longing for these sentimentalities, especially as it relates to the child-like anticipation of Christmas—the smell of egg nog and pine trees, waiting for all the Christmas classics to air on television, the taste of sugar cookies and peanut brittle, gazing at the tree and all the presents that sat underneath. And for me, singing all the Christmas carols is an absolutely fundamental part of that longing.

But I also know that Christmas carols were written to commemorate the most convergent event in the history of humankind—the birth of the Savior. At one time, these songs were imbedded deeply into our cultural psyche, and we sang them not just for nostalgia, but for something deeper. We sang “O Come Emmanuel” to convey longing. We sang “What Child Is This” to elicit mystery and wonder. We sang “O Come Let Us Adore Him” to invite worship. We sang “Joy To The World” to express, well, joy! As Christ followers, we need to give voice to all these things, especially in this, the most precious of seasons.

So here’s my challenge to you all, as artists of faith. Sing. And keep singing. In the car, in the shower, in your churches, in your gatherings and celebrations, with your children and grandchildren, with your families and friends. Don’t let the carols die.

In the words of the contemporary theologian, Elf, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.” Merry Christmas!

[Banner Photo by Michelle Kraemer on Unsplash. Inset photo from the classic movie, Elf.]