The real meaning of Christmas comes through in a local artist's rendition of a classic hymn. 

Barbara Joy is a Winnipeg musician and worship leader, who released a version of a well-known Christmas hymn. 

"What could go wrong when you pick a famous song like 'Joy to the World' by Handel and Isaac Watts," says Joy. "Yet in a sense being very careful with what you do with a famous Christmas carol."

The chorus which Joy wrote is based on Luke 2:10.

"'Fear not for behold I give you good news of great joy for all the people.' That was my message, it's for all the people to know the good news of great joy that comes in Jesus Christ. That was the key thing I wanted to say."

Celebrating Christmas

"We've got a couple of different traditions but I'm going to say the one big thing that we have to do, it has to do with food, is that we like to go red and white, the candy cane colours. One of the biggest traditions would be my cherry cheesecake with the red and the white. We add red jello and whip cream as well."

Joy shares the colours' meaning, which has been known for some time. The white of the cane can represent the purity of Jesus Christ and the red stripes are for the blood he shed when he died on the cross.

"Christmas means to me, exactly what is in this song, which is the joy of Jesus Christ. The joy of the child in the manger, our Messiah, our long-awaited king. What more can you say, that Christ is the king."