鈥淭he lefse song, mommy, the lefse song,鈥� implored my then 3-year old as we were deciding which CD to play while we tackled some holiday baking. I had no idea what she was referring to since we didn鈥檛 have any songs about lefse on any of our CDs so I chose a disc at random and pushed play. I got the girls set up with their ingredients and we began chopping and stirring and several minutes into the task my youngest daughter鈥檚 eyes lit up as she exclaimed, 鈥淭he lefse song, the lefse song!鈥� I paused to listen to her sing along and smiled as Celine Dion鈥檚 鈥淕od bless us, everyone鈥� had now become, 鈥淕od, lefse, everyone.鈥� Clearly we had spent way too much time talking about a particular Norwegian tradition.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Getting seasonal song lyrics wrong is quite common. They are mondegreens--the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase in a way that gives it a new meaning. They occur most often in poems or songs when the listener is unable to clearly hear a lyric and substitutes words that sound similar. Consider these ones submitted to a radio station by people who couldn鈥檛 believe how incorrectly their family or friends were singing: 鈥淪ee the grazing mule before us鈥�; 鈥淗o ho the missing toe鈥�; 鈥淒eck the halls with Buddy Holly鈥�; 鈥淔rosty the snowman is a ferret elf they say鈥�; 鈥淥h what fun it is to ride with one horse, soap and hay鈥� and the person who didn鈥檛 quite get the idea they were supposed to be singing in Spanish and instead sang, 鈥淔leas on the dog.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Those may be the ones we got wrong. But what about the ones we get right. The problem there isn鈥檛 in interpretation鈥攖he problem is with expectation. Consider the sentiments expressed in songs we are hearing over and over this time of year: 鈥淚f you want to be happy in a million ways, for the holidays you can鈥檛 beat home sweet home鈥�; 鈥淧lease come home for Christmas鈥�; or 鈥淲on鈥檛 be the same if you鈥檙e not here with me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The ideas of home and Christmas have become so intertwined it would seem to suggest that if you can鈥檛 be home the season just won鈥檛 measure up. In 1943 the song 鈥淚鈥檒l Be Home for Christmas鈥� poignantly expressed the feelings of those who were separated from loved ones by war and had to spend Christmas away from home. Josh Groban鈥檚 version in 2007 became notable for helping comfort those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There have been a lot of songs written that express more painful sentiments around the holidays but the work of these musicians aren鈥檛 the ones we hear as we stroll the malls. These songs tackle the loneliness, heart break, poverty, and isolation that exist all year long but seem particularly painful when so much focus is on home, hearth and the picture of happiness. Trying to deal with the realities of brokenness when all around are expectations of perfection, can cause an individual or a family to fear that, yet again, what they can offer is unworthy.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But let鈥檚 think for a moment about the central players in the actual event more than 2000 years ago. Mary and Joseph weren鈥檛 gathered around the hearth or putting finishing touches to a nursery. They were away from home; separated from family; taking shelter in the only place available to them鈥攁 place intended for animals. Yet in the intervening years we have aggrandized our notions of celebration to such an extent we think there needs to be containers full of baking in the freezer, an abundance of gifts under the tree, ornate decorations decking the halls, and luxurious linens on the guest beds. Such opulence is a far cry from the humbleness of that first Christmas, and contemporary sets of expectations can distract us from where our focus ought to be.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 If the notions of home and Christmas blend in special ways it is indeed something to recognize as a blessing because think, for just a moment, of all those who can鈥檛 say the same. As we look forward to home, hearth and happiness, let鈥檚 remember that because of the miracle of Christmas this can also be a season of hope, healing and humility. Joy to the world! The Lord is come. And that鈥檚 no misinterpretation. That鈥檚 my outlook.
