Originally published at National Catholic Register
A Christmas pilgrimage because of a beloved carol …
As the Advent evening turns cold and dark, a young couple lingers atop a dike dividing two nations, their mulled wine steaming in the chill. One holds a phone, the other a cup, capturing a final selfie before heading to the train station. Recently married, they chose Europe for their honeymoon to experience a “real Christmas market” — a dream that led them to Salzburg and, now, to the tiny town of Oberndorf.
“We love the song Silent Night, and since we were already in the area …” the bride explains, laughing as her husband snaps the photo. The train waits, but the allure of Oberndorf, the birthplace of the carol, holds them a little longer.
Oberndorf, nestled along the Salzach River, is about 30 minutes from Salzburg by car. Its famed Christmas market gleams with lights and fires.
Here, on Christmas Eve in 1818, Father Joseph Mohr first strummed Silent Night on his guitar, accompanied by a melody composed by teacher Franz Xaver Gruber. More than 200 years later, the carol is sung in more 300 languages and was even praised by Pope Francis as his favorite Christmas song.
