„Silent Night, Holy Night“ – the lines of this Christmas song sing people in 250 languages. It first appeared 200 years ago in Oberndorf, Austria, where it is celebrating an anniversary.
Laughing and a little nervous, a group of tourists prepares for their performance. She is determined to sing the Christmas song with the same title in front of the small „Silent Night Chapel“ in Oberndorf in Austria. On December 24, 1818, it sounded for the first time – at this point.
Oberndorf attracts visitors from all over the world on the banks of the Salzach River all year long. Now – for the celebrations of the 200th anniversary – is expected especially many tourists.
Just sing for the actual occasion
As a precautionary measure, the municipality with a population of 5,000 is subject to a general ban on bus travel from noon on 24 December. With shuttle services, visitors are taken from an outside bus parking lot to the „Silent Night Chapel“. For locals, the special relationship to the world-famous Christmas carol is to sing it just for the real occasion.
„Since we are Oberndorfer and have grown up with the song, this is pure Christmas,“ says a resident of the place. „It will not be until the 24th. We really do not play it before, and the song is really Christmas, and the song starts.“ It’s a very peaceful song, she says. „A very nice song, yes.“
„A certain restraint in Austria“
Michael Neureiter is president of the „Silent Night Society“. „We do not believe in making the song sound all year long,“ he says. „We have a certain restraint in Austria and sing the song only on Christmas Eve and on Christday, even if it sounds here in the ‚Silent Night District‘.“
Neureiter has a unique connection to the legendary Christmas carol as well as to its composer Franz Xaver Gruber. „I grew up in the same house where Franz Xaver Gruber lived in the 19th century, in the 20th century.“ Gruber spent 28 years of his life in the house opposite the parish church. „For me it was only 24, until the marriage,“ says Neureiter.
Message of Peace in 250 languages
Like no other, the longtime President of the Society has extensive knowledge of the genesis and distribution of the song, which UNESCO declared on its initiative in 2011 as the „Intangible Cultural Heritage of Austria“. The message of peace emanating from the Christmas carol translated into more than 250 languages is particularly important to Neureiter.
How he and his family spend Christmas Eve at home? „In our case, on the evening of Christmas Eve, we start smoking the house, where we pray for our homes and family,“ says Neureiter. After that there will be dinner „with sausages as it is standard with us – in Salzburg at least“. Then read someone from the Gospel of Luke. „And then the living room is entered, and the candles are made to burn, and then the song with the guitar, which I learned to play at a young age, is heard.“
