Carolers usher in a day of hope
Dec. 24, 1940: “The annunciation of the angel, the song of the heavenly host and the joy in the hearts of the shepherds 1,940 years ago found echo in Los Angeles,” The Times reported under the headline “City Heralds Day of Hope With Hymns of Praise.”
“The City of the Angels was like Jerusalem, ‘City of Peace,’ of olden time, as hymns of praise from the hearts and lips of thousands of devotees made the night musical with gladness.”
“From churches and from many homes, little bands of carolers, in automobiles and on foot, went forth to tell their joy to a wakening world, and especially to visit the shut-ins,” The Times went on.
“From thousands of radios, phonographs and family gatherings around the piano, ‘Silent Night,’ ‘Little Town of Bethlehem’ and other old favorites rang out in welcome to the dawn.”
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