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12 Songs of Christmas: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen [1]
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Date: 2022-12-21
Each day until Christmas, I am going to write briefly about a Christmas song I enjoy. Because I can, that's why. And I an unabashed corny dork.
A classic. It has been argued that one of the reasons that Christianity spread through the Roman Empire where other mystery cults struggled was that Christianity offered a very clear sense of offering an afterlife reward to everyone, regardless of their social status. It gave simple rules to follow and that anyone could follow -- and once they did, they were promised paradise. Now, of course, nothing is ever that simple, but that sense of relief, of finally having a way forward in a terrible time, does seem to have been a factor in the spread of Christianity. This carol captures that sense, that finally, someone is on your side. That is further reinforced when you remember that merry is not modifying gentlemen here. Rather, the phrase in its entirety means "May God grant you gentlemen peace and happiness." The sense of relief and happiness is palpable in any good version.
open.spotify.com/...
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