C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S
Perry Como & Mitchell Ayres Lyrics
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Christmas meant one thing,
that I'd be getting lots of toys that day
I learned a whole lot different
when Mother sat me down
and taught me to spell 'Christmas' this way:
'H' for herald angels in the night
'are' means our Redeemer
'I' means Israel
'S' is for the star that shone so bright
'T' is for three wise men, they who travelled far
'M' is for the manger where He lay
'A' 's for all He stands for
'S' means Shepard's came
And that's why there's a Christmas day!
And that's why there's a Christmas day!
Music by Eddy Arnold
with lyrics by Jenny Lou Carson, 1949
The lyrics of "C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S" by Perry Como reveal a personal anecdote of how the singer used to perceive Christmas as a day for receiving toys as a youngster. However, that perception changed when his mother taught him how to spell 'Christmas' by assigning each letter to a symbol or significant event related to the holiday.
Each letter represents a different part of the biblical narrative regarding Jesus' birth. 'See,' stood for the Christ child, highlighting the day's religious aspect as it's also celebrated as Jesus Christ's birthday. 'H' for herald angels emphasizes how the angels announced to the shepherds about the Messiah's birth, and 'are' emphasizes the idea of redemption, reflecting the purpose of Jesus' coming to Earth. 'I' represents Israel, where Jesus was born, and 'S' for the star that guided the three wise men's journey to Bethlehem.
The three wise men are symbolized by the letter 'T' as 'traveled far' and 'M' as the letter used to represent the 'manger where Jesus lay.' Finally, the letter 'A' is for 'all He stands for,' highlights the overall significance of Jesus in the Christian faith, and 'S' stands for the shepherds that came to visit the newborn child. In conclusion, the song embodies the religious essence of Christmas, teaching youngsters its spiritual significance beyond receiving gifts.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was but a youngster
As a child, I associated Christmas with receiving toys.
Christmas meant one thing,
The sole purpose of Christmas for me as a child was to receive toys.
I learned a whole lot different
My understanding of Christmas changed when my mother taught me the true meaning.
when Mother sat me down
My mother deliberately took the time to educate me about the meaning of Christmas.
and taught me to spell 'Christmas' this way:
She taught me how to remember the true meaning of Christmas using an acronym.
'see' is for the Christ child, born upon this day
The 'C' in Christmas stands for the birth of Jesus Christ.
'H' for herald angels in the night
The 'H' stands for the angels who proclaimed Christ's birth to the shepherds in the night.
'are' means our Redeemer
The 'R' represents Jesus Christ as our Redeemer.
'I' means Israel
The 'I' represents Israel, the country where Jesus was born.
'S' is for the star that shone so bright
The 'S' stands for the star that guided the wise men to Jesus.
'T' is for three wise men, they who travelled far
The 'T' represents the three wise men who traveled a long distance to visit the baby Jesus.
'M' is for the manger where He lay
The 'M' stands for the manger where Jesus was born and laid to rest.
'A' 's for all He stands for
The 'A' stands for all that Jesus Christ stands for as our Lord and Savior.
'S' means Shepard's came
The 'S' represents the shepherds who came to visit Jesus after the angels proclaimed His birth.
And that's why there's a Christmas day!
The true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and all that He represents.
Music by Eddy Arnold
The musical rendition of this song was composed by Eddy Arnold.
with lyrics by Jenny Lou Carson, 1949
The lyrics of this song were written by Jenny Lou Carson in the year 1949.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EDDY ARNOLD, JENNY LOU CARSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krzysztof Przygucki
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