With words written by a French wine commissioner who was not particularly religious and later declared himself to be a socialist, and music composed by a gifted Jewish musician who did not consider ...

In the fall of 1847, a French wine merchant, Placide Cappeau, was asked by his local priest to write a Christmas poem. Not long after, Placide Cappeau showed this poem, “Minuit, chrétiens,” to the ...

I am plenty sentimental about Christmas songs from the 20th century, songs like “White Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time,” but the Christmas songs that have sent ...