Saturday, December 9: O Little Town of Bethlehem
This song started as a poem for a group of Philadelphia Sunday school children, and eventually became a celebrated Christmas hymn.
It was written by the pastor of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia, Phillips Brooks, in 1867, during his pilgrimage on horseback from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.
In 1868, the song was put to music by the church organist, Lewis Redner.
So inspired by his journey was Phillips Brooks, his song was a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Each verse contains reference to the blessed event.