Dec 19, 2018
NFC Helps Celebrate 200 Year Anniversary of “Silent Night”
The holiday season is upon us! And NFC tags are helping people celebrate the 200th anniversary this Christmas of the first public performance of the world famous Christmas song, “Silent Night”. People all over the world listen and sing this popular Christmas carol every year. The song represents a “silent” and “holy” night with family and friends during the holidays.
The 200th anniversary of “Silent Night” (“Stille Nacht” in German) is being celebrated in 13 Silent Night locations in three Austrian provinces: SalzburgerLand, Upper Austria and Tyrol. Oberndorf bei Salzburg, 17 kilometers north of the city of Salzburg, is the birthplace of the song.
Nine museums in the area are involved with the “Silent Night” program and each town in the provinces features as many as two–six “Silent Night” – related points of interest such as churches, chapels and houses. In these provinces you can discover the song’s magic, experience the history and listen to the many stories about the world-famous Christmas song.
Two hundred smart labels and posters with NFC tags as well as beacons are in the museums and 300 other locations in Austria to make it convenient to experience the anniversary by accessing information using a smartphone. The tags contain location-based information and other content about “Silent Night”.
The “Silent Night” program is operated by the Salzburg State Tourism Board. Xamoom, an Austrian location-based solutions company, provided the tags, beacons and content-management system. The tourism board was able to install the NFC tags on their own and expects 700,000 overnight visitors to the area over the holiday season.
Not Going To Austria? Use the “Silent Night” App!
An app celebrating the 200th anniversary helps you to get in the “Silent Night” spirit wherever you are. The app lets you explore the Christmas-themed villages, towns and other special places across the three provinces. It explains the origin of the song and lets you share a message of “peace” across different social media platforms. Every time you use the app, a different part of the original song is unlocked allowing you to eventually access the entire performance.
For those who do not wish to install the Silent Night app, use the mobile link instead. Links to the app (available for iOS and Android) can be found at the mobile portal (m.stillenacht.com) or in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store.
Happy Holidays!