Merry Christmas: Eurovision Advent calendar day 24

Charlotte Jensen

6 years ago

Warm up to Christmas by listening to the beautiful carols performed by Eurovision artists. Each day until Christmas features a new act giving their version of a Christmas song. As 24th, we listen to Olsen Brothers’ Danish version of “Silent Night”.

Olsen Brothers won, to the surprise of many, the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Fly On The Wings Of Love. The two brothers, Jørgen Olsen and Niels “Noller” Olsen had already back then a long career behind them starting in the 60’s. When Denmark returned to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1978, after 12 years of absense, the duo took part in the Danish final. They would continue to do that several times until they finally won in 2000. Today, they are still active.

Today’s Christmas song is Glade Jul, Dejlige Jul, which is the Danish version of the song most know in English as Silent Night. It’s originally from 1818 by Austrian composer Franz Xaver Gruber. The title in its original German language is Stille Nacht, Heillige Nacht. is considered one of the most traditional Christmas carols and has status as UNESCO Cultural heritage.

The Danish lyrics to the song are from 1850 and written by B.S. Ingemann. The Danish lyrics tells about the angels who saw Jesus Christ being born. Each Christmas, these angels come to us to tell us the message about what it was they saw back then and about the savior who has opened the door to heaven. The song ends with the message that the souls he saved, we should be grateful for. Translated to English the title means ‘Joyful Christmas, Lovely Christmas’.