Slang-o-Rama takes a break for: Christmas song "firsts"

Since the Christmas holiday is breathing down my neck and the Cambridge Singers are featured on Pandora as I type, we're going to take a break from SLANG this week and turn to SONG (with a holiday twist). Sooooo do you know (without peeking!):

1. What was the first song that mentioned Santa Claus?
2. What was the first Christmas song played in space?
3. What was the first Christmas song ever written?

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Now, I won't stake my first-born on these answers, but this is what I found:

1. According to Insider, the earliest song that references Santa Claus (aka Saint Nicholas)  is Up on the Housetop written in 1864 by Benjamin Hanby. (Wikipedia concurs on the date and the author, and even supplies the original lyrics.) Here's a 1949 version sung by Bill Boyd and his Cowboy Ramblers. Get ready to stomp your feet, clap your hands, and warble along...
   



2. Guinness World Records says that on December 16, 1965, while in orbit above planet Earth, the crew of Gemini 6 "spotted Santa" after which a tinkly rendition of Jingle Bells burst forth from the capsule. Jingle Bells has another "first" claim: Written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont, it is also the first secular Christmas song. Enjoy this space-y rendition, below.
     



3. Classic FM has a nifty post titled A dive into the surprising history of the Christmas carol, with all kind of fascinating information, including this passage:  "It’s generally accepted that one of the first Christmas carols ever to be recorded was the 129 AD Angels Hymn, according to The New Daily." (You can read more about Angels Hymn on The New Daily, here.) 
   I'm not sure if the music below is THE Angels Hymn, but it's titled The Old Angels Hymn, which is good enough for me...
   

And finally, I leave you with this compilation of Christmas carols (a sing-along!) performed by a virtual choir of employees from the Houston Methodist Hospital.  

Sending my heartfelt gratitude to all health workers, wherever they may be, and wishing everyone a peace-filled season...

Fa-la-la-la-la

I've been challenged by a blogging friend who's a knitting fiend to post what I'm doing this week for the holidays. It's hard to get into the spirit with an ever-more expensive hole gaping at us from the ceiling (a mysterious drip-drip-drip has finally made itself known, soaking through sheetrock and all the rest). HOWEVER, I will rise to the challenge. My plans for holiday-ing it up:
1) Make/bake a batch of cookies.
2) Make a batch of fudge.
3) Collect unwanted/unused warm socks, mittens, gloves, scarves, jackets, long underwear etc. from the closets and bring 'em to church on Dec. 24 for "Gifts of Warmth." The items will be handed out to those in shelters and those who are homeless.
4) Listen to all kinds of holiday music REALLY LOUD. Look out, guys in tricked-out cars and booming bass speakers. I plan to blast my way into your sound-space with "Hark the Herald Angels Sing."
.... The other challenge my friend set out was to describe what my character would do for the holidays. Hmmm. What would Inez do? I shall think on that, and report back...