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@garyrodd4791

I find this Christmas carol to be of special meaning to me...Growing up in poverty, we did not have the luxury of material gifts, but we shared the Holiday spirit by sharing the spirit of family and food we normally could not afford.. such as cranberry/orange relish, turkey & stuffing & home made apple jack made by my father...Christmas was more about the meal we created than giving gifts..

@TheCallumw100

I looked it up and according to history Wenceslas did exist he was the duke of Bohemia and went round giving the poor, orphaned widowed and imprisoned gifts at evening.

@frantisekbuchta8902

I am from the Czech Republic and I think it is amazing how our history has penetrated even to England. We have really interesting history.
But I have some remarks:
1. St. Wenceslas (Václav I.) was a duke not a king, we had some kings, but they were kings until their death, so on succesion title was lost. That changed in year 1212 with document known as "Golden Bull of Sicily" (Zlatá bula Sicilská) which granted title of king even to descendants.
2. He is very controversial character of our history. Despite he was declared as saint, because he was very good Christian, some people and historians says that he didnt care about destiny of Bohemia in case of East Francia´s pressure on borders. But who knows, it is over thousand years ago, but legend about St. Wenceslas is immortal!

@ToddSF

The "Feast of Stephen", for those who might not know, is St. Stephen's Day, December 26, one of the "Twelve Days of Christmas". This carol is associated with December 26, since "Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen". It's not a Christmas carol, but associated with the Christmas season nonetheless. One strange thing is the tune, which is taken from a Latin spring carol "Tempus adest floridem" which is all about springtime being the time when flowers bloom again. I've known "Good King Wenceslas" (who was actually a Duke during his lifetime) in this carol for so long, I can't think of the tune as a springtime song. I note that after his assassination at age 27 by his younger brother, Wenceslas the Duke was posthumously declare a King by the Pope as well as a saint, and the Duchy of Bohemia became the Kingdom of Bohemia, with Kings in charge ever after. Today, of course, most of Bohemia lies within the borders of the Czech Republic, also called Czechia, and St. Wenceslas is the patron saint of the Czechs. I wouldn't call this carol a hymn because it is never sung in church and, instead, it's a narrative that tells a story about a miracle associated with an act of charity, ending with a moral that instructs Christians to be charitable, because in giving to those in need, the giver will find a blessing.

@bowtiesarecool91011

The words were by an English guy.
The music's Scandanavian.
Wenceslas was five foot six.
He kept his face unshaven.
Though just a Duke throughout his life,
he always ruled so justly.
His kingly title was conferred
upon him posthumously.

@BeingRomans829ed

Learned this song for the Christmas play when I was a child over 40 years ago.
Still remember every word.
Brings back memories. Thanks for uploading.
Merry Christmas!

@aalennn1

God bless :)

@marendenison3391

“But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you; for, as is read in his Passion, no one doubts that, rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.”
- Cosmas of Prague, about the reign of Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, a.k.a. Good King Wenceslaus.

@smittysmeee

+Maren Denison Neat! Thank you for sharing this!

@smittysmeee

christopher snedeker Nope, if you listen to the lyrics beginning at 2:17, the line begins: "Mark my footsteps good, my page, tread thou in then boldly," meaning that the page ought to step carefully (i.e. "mark well") in his king's footprints, not that he is a "good page."

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