It's considered the second-oldest secular Christmas carol, behind only "Jingle Bells," and it's got Central Ohio connections. "Up on a Housetop" was written by Otterbein University's favorite son. Amy and Tom heard about the history... and a fabulous rendition from Otterbein's concert choir members... | Good Day Columbus

A Brief Lesson on the History of Christmas The word Christmas comes from the Old English Cristes Maesse, meaning “Christ’s Mass”—the worship service celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christ comes from the Greek Christos, meaning “the Anointed One,” and Mass comes from the Latin missa, referring to the Eucharistic celebration. Even the term Xmas is ancient rather than secular, with the “X” coming from the Greek letter Chi (Χ), the first letter in Christos, used as an abbreviation for Christ