After the death of a loved one many people wonder, "Is there a Christmas in heaven?" Through poetry and song lyrics, most find peace in the idea that there is a Christmas in heaven that might be slightly different from the one on Earth.
Wanda Bencke's Christmas in Heaven Poem
Over the course of five days while her daughter, Lysandra, was in a coma that stemmed from a seisure on Christmas day in 1997, Wanda Bencke wrote the poem Christmas in Heaven. She added the poem to belated Christmas cards for friends and family who would also be grieving this holiday loss. The popularity of the poem took off as friends and family members shared it and the poem was copyrighted in 1999.
Christmas in Heaven Poem Meaning
The premise of the eight-stanza poem is that someone of faith should not worry about losing a loved one, for that loved one has gone to be with Jesus Christ. In Christmas in Heaven, Bencke describes what the departed one sees of Earth from heaven, how serene and comforting it is to be with Jesus in heaven at Christmas, and how that knowledge should bring the grieving person closer to peace.
The first stanza begins:
"I see the countless Christmas trees
Around the world below,
With tiny lights like heaven's stars
Reflecting in the snow."
Christmas in Heaven Poem Authorship
There are many online sources providing Christmas in Heaven's text under different titles such as My First Christmas in Heaven or Christmas in Heaven With Jesus. In some cases, it's even suggested Bencke was not the original author. What evidence is available suggests Bencke's story and claim of authorship is authentic.
Poems About Christmas in Heaven
Wanda Bencke's Christmas in Heaven poem isn't the only famous or popular poem with the same title or a similar one. Grief poems for the holidays are popular because death and loss are universal experiences.
Christmas in Heaven What Do They Do Poem
John F. Connor is the author of the poem Christmas in Heaven What Do They Do? This short poem is often used on keepsake items and asks that you save an empty chair for your lost loved ones on Christmas so their spirits may join you. The poem ends with the lines "You may not see them/But they will be there."
Merry Christmas From Heaven Poem
In 1989 John Mooney, Jr. wrote the poem Merry Christmas From Heaven to help himself deal with the death of his mother. Now the poem is a staple for funerals that fall during the holiday season and keepsakes. This seven-stanza Christian poem ends with the lines "Cause I'm spending my Christmas with Jesus this year."
Christmas in Heaven Poem by Kris Smith
Another take on how to incorporate deceased loved ones into your Christmas celebration and see things from their perspective is found in the poem Christmas in Heaven by Kris Smith. This six-stanza rhyming poem starts from the family's perspective on acknowledging that someone is missing from the celebration. The end of the poem is written from the deceased's perspective and starts "I'd like for you all to remember the good/You know that I'd be there if only I could."
Christmas in Heaven Songs
The idea of celebrating Christmas in heaven is so universal and popular, it's even made its way into a few famous songs. Sentimental songs can help you heal through grief while Christmas song parodies can help you keep that holiday cheer.
Scotty McCreery Christmas in Heaven Song
From his album, Christmas With Scotty McCreery, comes the singer's favorite song Christmas in Heaven. For Scotty, the song was about his own thoughts of his grandfather in heaven, but the lyrics are fitting for anyone missing a lost loved one during the holiday season. The chorus ends with the lines "Are you singing with angels Silent Night?/I wonder what Christmas in heaven is like."
Monty Python Christmas in Heaven Song
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life is a movie that was released in 1983 from the popular comedic franchise. One of the bonus tracks, Christmas in Heaven, is a humorous and satirical glimpse at what heaven looks like to the Monty Python crowd during the Christmas season. Lyrics include lines like "There's gifts for all the family./There's toiletries and trains."
How to Share the Christmas in Heaven Message
Celebrating Christmas after the loss of a loved one can be difficult for many people. Incorporating Christmas in heaven poems, songs, or traditions into your typically holiday festivities is one way to cope with grief during the holidays.
- Create a holiday playlist with traditional Christmas songs or carols and songs about grief or Christmas in heaven to play in the background on Christmas day.
- Add Christmas in heaven poems to handmade Christmas cards you send to close friends and family members of the deceased.
- Volunteer to read a poem or sing a song at church dedicated to all those who are celebrating Christmas in heaven this year.
- Make or purchase a keepsake Christmas tree ornament or other Christmas decoration that includes a poem or the song lyrics.
Christmas in Heaven for Lost Loved Ones
Celebrating Christmas and the holiday season can be particularly difficult if you're celebrating without a specific loved one. Sharing poems and songs about a special Christmas celebration with your loved one in Heaven can become a new holiday tradition.
