Chances Are Your Favorite Christmas Songs Were Written By Jewish People

For most Christmas lovers, you'd think that the popular Christmas songs they've come to love were created by others who loved the holiday. Right? Well, it might come as a surprise, but most of the Christmas songs we've come to love and celebrate with every year were not written by Christians... they were written by Jews.

From "White Christmas," to "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," to "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," they were all written by Jewish people. But why? To put it lightly, entering the music business (as well as Hollywood) was a straightforward way for Jews to make a living in an era where Jews were not welcome in a lot of professions.

In the first half of the 20th Century, Jewish people flocked to industries that would welcome them for the simple fact that they had lives to live and families to feed. Industries like music, comics, and film were open to Jews as they were areas where they didn't face overwhelming antisemitism. Entertainment was also a great opportunity to culturally assimilate, as many Jews in the United States at the time were immigrants in a sea of Christian culture. It also served as a way for American Jews to feel a sense of pride and patriotism in the country they were in - especially during World War II where Jews were being targeted in Europe.

This desire to be welcomed into American culture also kickstarted the shift to a more secular holiday season. If you notice, most of these Jewish-written songs don't feature the birth of Jesus Christ, or the overwhelming Christian message around Christmas. These songs feature the snowy weather, Santa Claus, reindeer, holiday foods, dancing, and lights. As "Ambassador of the Great American Songbook" Michael Feinstein said to the Huffington Post in 2014:

"The Christmas songs that are popular are not about Jesus, but they’re about sleigh bells and Santa and the trappings of Christmas. They’re not religious songs."

Feinstein was just one example of the Jewish influx into the entertainment industry, as was Russian-born composer Irving Berlin (born as Israel Beilin), who came to the United States from Imperial Russia at the age of five. Berlin's contributions to the Great American Songbook are vast and he wrote Christmas classics such as "White Christmas" and "Happy Holiday," and the beloved American classic, "God Bless America."

In addition to Berlin, Jewish composers such as Gloria Shayne Baker, Edward Pola, George Wyle, Mel Tormé, Robert Wells, Sammy Cahn, Phil Springer, and many more wrote most of the secular Christmas songs that are circulated every year.

Let's take a look at who wrote some of these iconic songs!

• George Wyle (born Bernard Weissman) - "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
• Edward Pola - "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
• Ray Evans - "Silver Bells"
• Robert Wells - "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire (The Christmas Song)"
• Gloria Shayne Baker - "Do You Hear What I Hear?"
• Sammy Cahn (born Samuel Cohen) - "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
• Irving Berlin - "White Christmas," "Happy Holiday"
• Felix Bernard - Walkin' In a Winter Wonderland"
• Jay Livingston - "Silver Bells"
• Phil Springer - "Santa Baby"
• Joan Javits - "Santa Baby"
• Richard B. Smith - "Walkin' In a Winter Wonderland"
• Johnny Marks - "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "A Holly, Jolly Christmas," "Run Rudolph Run," "Silver and Gold"
• Mitchell Parish (born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky) - "Sleigh Ride"
• Mel Tormé - "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire (The Christmas Song)"

Whatever the reason might have been for writing these songs, I think it's pretty safe to say these musical masters sealed themselves into American history. It's a shame that more people aren't aware of the history of not just these songs, but of the Jewish composers who wrote them for everyone to enjoy.