The Story of "Silent Night"
Have you ever had a year in your life where there seemed to be no summertime, when crisis after crisis seemed to roll in like cold winter weather fronts? This was literally the case in Europe in 1816, which came to known as "The Year Without a Summer." A major volcanic eruption in Indonesia affected weather patterns worldwide. Snow fell and frosts occurred even in August. This caused crop failures, which led to food shortages and famines. Riots and even typhus epidemics swept across Europe. These problems were compounded by the instability that had resulted from the just-ended Napoleonic Wars. Christmas in 1816 was therefore not a care-free holiday. Joseph Mohr was an assistant priest living in Mariapfarr, Austria, where Bavarian troops were in the process of withdrawal. The war had disrupted the employment lifeline of the area: the salt trade, which interrupted the accompanying ship building and transportation industries. After a winter evening walk observing the quiet...