Lifelong Grinch Turns Merry Christmas Caroller

I haven’t celebrated Christmas for 20 years, but this year, Christmas carols made me realise that Western society needs to be reminded of its foundations.

Growing up, I cringed when this time of year rolled around. My mother, who I affectionally call Lady, would fill the house with what I called “creepy Christmas stuff”—decorations in clashing colours of red and green and the tinsel and glitter only added to the visual overload. 

The season seemed like an excuse for people to buy junk they didn’t need, couldn’t afford, and often ended up in landfill. To me, it was a time that fostered shallowness and excessive consumerism rather than anything meaningful.

Yet, last year, something changed. In the wake of the October 7th terror attacks, I found myself unexpectedly drawn to Christmas carols—those same songs I’d once dismissed as obnoxious jingles with over the top soprano vocals lines, suddenly began to fill my heart with their melodies and resonate with me in a way I never saw coming.

These carols reminded me of some truths that feel particularly urgent today: Israel is not a modern construct but an ancient homeland, deeply rooted in history and faith. And that that faith is the foundation of our culture. 

This illuminated a broader battle—the struggle over Israel’s very right to exist as a Jewish state in a culture that was born from the very morals that their history gifted us.

At this hostile time, Christmas carols have unexpectedly provided solace to someone who has been a lifelong Grinch and hasn’t celebrated Christmas in about 20 years.

Their melodies and lyrics take us back to fundamental truths: Israel is an ancient homeland, deeply rooted in history and faith. Jesus, the central theme of these carols is celebrated by Christians as the King of the Jews, who lived in Israel, was born in Bethlehem in Judea, and prayed in Jerusalem.

These songs, some sung for centuries, reaffirm an essential truth: the Jewish connection to the land of Israel is ancient and irrefutable.

“O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.”

This peaceful imagery reminds us that Bethlehem is not just a spiritual symbol but a real historic city, central to Christian and Jewish history.

Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus is situated in Judea—a region whose name is the root of the word "Jew." And yet, today, Bethlehem is under the control of the Palestinian Authority, and Jewish people are barred from entering. 

It’s pretty crazy when you realise that Mary and Joseph if they were in our time, would not only struggle to find a place to stay in Bethlehem; they would be forbidden entirely from entering because they were Jewish.

“Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!”

Israel is the ancient name of this land and Jewish people are indigenous to it—with over 3,500 years of history there—how can it be questioned or denied, even by people who identify as Christians?

It is simply crazy to me that Christians need reminding that Jesus' central claim to deity was that He was the fulfilment of Jewish prophecy and the King of Israel. 

If Christians don’t believe that, I’m not sure what they believe, isn't that what is their faith based on? 

After all, that’s who He claimed to be. Without that foundation, Christianity loses all credibility.

So after all these years, now listening to Christmas carols now feels like an act of quiet defiance. Melodically reminding us of a shared heritage that connects Jews and Christians alike, rooted in a land that has been the cradle of faith, culture, and identity.

It is a truth that no amount of revisionism can erase.

This year, as Christmas carols fill the air, I’m singing along—not just because of their hidden beauty but because of the history and truth they carry.

Join me in reminding our culture that it was built on the foundation of Christianity, that these places and stories are not just spiritual ideas but grounded in real, historical geography.

May we all find ways to celebrate this truth and ensure it is never forgotten, even amidst the most horrific hostility.

The truth is that the Jewish people have an ancient and enduring connection to the land of Israel, and that this is history is foundational to the Christian faith.