Information on Christmas Waltz
The Viennese waltz is the original Western forbidden dance
because partners dance close, facing each other and closely
touching. This was quite a scandal for traditional authorities
because of the dance's moral turpitude and vulgarity. The
dance of the masses was different from the intricate court
dances. This view changed with the acceptance of the dance
and later the dance was elevated as orchestral art. With waltz
we learn to embrace dynamism and change with optimism, vibrancy
and enjoyment. These same lessons we accept with the song
- Christmas waltz.
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The Christmas waltz, a song by Sammy Cahn and music by Jule
Styne, represents the accepted form of modern secular Christmas
music which describe the wonderful joy of the season without
necessarily being religious. The song has been reprised by
many singers including Frank Sinatra and the Carpenters. The
active celebration of Christmas was a vigorous effort of the
clergy to superimpose Christian ethics and principles over
the ancient pagan practices. The modern songs do not necessarily
mean a reversion of the celebration to those of Saturnalia.
The change of Christmas chants and hymns to merry novelty
type of Christmas waltz songs result from the secularization
of what used to be somber religious rituals.
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Like its dance equivalent, what used to be condemned as
a hedonistic ritual became a solemn Christian celebration
and now is a community celebration of life and merriment
most represented by the Christmas waltz song. The acceptance
of Christmas is now a spiritual message and need not dress
itself in a totally serious religious ritual. The lightness
of secular celebration when conjoined with Christian values
of gift-giving, charity and renewal becomes the deliberate
spiritual practice of without the superficial walls imposed
by traditionalists and dogmatics.
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