Monday marks the 200th anniversary of Silent Night, and the iconic hymn’s history is nearly as intriguing as its sound.

Joseph Mohr was the priest at St. Nikola Church, which was located in the village of Oberndorf in Germany. The year was 1818, and Mohr was facing a dilemma. He had written a poem about the nativity two years earlier, but with Christmas Mass just around the corner and the church’s organ damaged, Mohr didn’t know how he’d share his piece with his parish.

That’s where Franz Xaver Gruber, a teacher and guitar player, stepped in. Gruber strummed the melody to Mohr’s lyric, and the pair performed the world-renown Christmas tune for the first time on Dec. 24, 1818.

Since its debut, “Silent Night” has garnered worldwide acclaim. It’s even been translated into more than 300 languages and dialects.

— Danielle Derrickson