We Dreamed These Days

The Story of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

By Will Friedwald, eMusic Contributor

More than most songs of the holiday season, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" has been a perennial favorite for 65 years because, in contrast to the title, it's more than just a Merry Little Christmas song. This isn't merely another Santa-mental jolly tune describing reindeer and elves. Rather, it conveys the undercurrent of melancholy and sadness that is the flipside of holiday jollity. It's that most extraordinary of things, a Merry Christmas jingle in… more »