Christmas Carols
Songs for religious and secular Christmas carolers
alike
by Liz Olson
Christmas carols are synonymous with the holiday season and
can invoke the spirit of Christmas in even the most Scrooge-like
individuals. Indeed, Bing Crosby crooning “White Christmas,”
Alvin’s squeaky “Chipmunk Christmas Song,” or a group of
carolers singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” can bring
holiday warmth on the coldest December day.
The Origin of the
Christmas Carol
The first carols were religious hymns written about
the birth of Christ and included themes such as the nativity, peace, angels,
baby Jesus, and the North Star. Beginning with St. Francis of Assisi
(1182-1226), carols have been sung in church to celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ. It’s said that St. Francis was the first person to set up a
manger scene in a church—a model of the stable in which baby Jesus was
delivered that included farm animals, shepherds, and three singing wise
men.
Christmas Carols around the World
The oldest printed
collection of Christmas carols was published in 1521 by Jan van Wynkyn, an
Englishman. The book included the “Boar’s Head Carol,”
which is still sung today.
“Silent Night” was written by
an Austrian priest named Fr. Joseph Mohr in the early 19th century and was
later translated into hundreds of languages. The popular version of “O
Come, All Ye Faithful” was written by Canon Frederick Oakeley of
London in 1852, but the origins of the song date back to the 13th century
Franciscan St. Bonaventure. A Latin version was also popular in 1744 at
vaudeville shows in Paris.
American Carols
“O Little
Town of Bethlehem” was written by Phillip Brooks of Boston,
Massachusetts—a preacher in the 19th century who became Episcopal
Bishop of Massachusetts in 1891. He wrote the famous words of “O
Little Town of Bethlehem” three years after he journeyed to the Holy
Land and spent Christmas Eve in Bethlehem. Brooks gave the words to his
church organist who set them to music on Christmas in 1868. “We Three
Kings of Orient Are” dates back to 1857 when John Henry Hopkins wrote
the carol for a Christmas pageant at the General Theological Seminary in New
York City.
Modern Carols
In recent history, carols have come
to tell about not only the nativity, but also secular holiday traditions,
including reindeer, snowmen, Santa Claus, and more. Some popular
nonreligious carols include Mariah Carey’s “All I want for
Christmas Is You,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by
Bruce Springsteen, “Blue Christmas” by Elvis Presley, and
“Jingle Bell Rock” by Hall and Oates.
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
