The Sad Story Behind ‘White Christmas,’ America’s Favorite Christmas Carol

The most popular Christmas carol in America stands apart from the others in a number of ways.

It’s not upbeat, there are no fanciful characters and it isn’t religious. Instead, it’s melancholy and wistful – full of longing for bygone days.

Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” was first heard on a radio show sponsored by the Kraft Company on Christmas Day, 1941. Bing Crosby and Kraft Music Hall mainly appealed to young people – the average listener age was 21 – so it’s possible that the younger generation embraced “White Christmas” first.

But the longing and coziness of the song had a deeper meaning that day. Families tuning in to that broadcast were thinking about the tragic event that happened just 18 days before: the Pearl Harbor attack.

By the following winter, young American troops found themselves overseas during the holidays. Armed Forces radio played “White Christmas” over and over to remind them of home.