‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’: An Ode to Seasonal Melancholy
The song popularized by Judy Garland in <em>Meet Me in St. Louis</em> captures the bittersweet nostalgia many feel around this time of year.
Welcome to The 12 Days of Christmas Songs: an attempt to uncover the forgotten history of some of the most memorable festive tunes. From December 14 through 25, we’ll be tackling one secular song and one holy song each day.
“There’s no place like home” is a quote from a veryjust as well. In the 1944 musical, Garland’s character, Esther, is the second-oldest daughter to the Smith family, living happily in St. Louis until her father is called to relocate to New York for work. On Christmas Eve, Esther comes home from a holiday ball to find her younger sister worrying that Santa won’t be able to find them after the move.
