Classic Christmas Carols' Histories

We all know the classic Christmas carols, but do you know when they were written? Did you know that some have political and social messages? The joyous Christmas carols and songs that surround us each holiday season have a rich and colorful history.

What's a Carol, Anyway?
The word "carol" hails from the days of pagan celebrations. During the Winter solstice, a circle dance was performed. As the dancers danced, they also sang to show their gratitude and happiness for another year of life.

In 1223 this type of singing was brought to the attention of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis learned of the pagan tradition and wrote a Latin hymn, "Psalmus in Nativitate," that drew heavily on the pagan style of singing. His carol quickly became popular in in his native Italy and throughout Europe, inspiring others to write carols of their own.

Since then, Christmas caroling has been a central part of Christmas celebrations. Christmas carols and songs can be heard from Thanksgiving through Christmas Day.

Changing Carols
In the beginning, Christmas carols were mostly written and sung in Latin. Nearly all were spiritual songs written to glorify the Holy Family. Today there are as many song parodies as there are religious carols and songs.

Originally, traveling minstrels visited villages and sang songs for their dinner. In this manner, minstrels passed on the lyrics to a variety of carols or songs as they moved from one village to the next. While peasants sang these carols year round, door-to-door Christmas caroling, or wassailing as it was called in Europe, didn't catch on until about 1,000 years ago. The old tradition continues today when carolers are invited inside for a warm drink.

Some favorite classic Christmas carols date back to the 12^th and 13^th centuries. Sadly, most of the original lyrics have been lost and the melodies have often changed to include very different lyrics. The same is true of Christmas carols that have been turned into song parodies for the sake of humor.

Songs such as "The First Noel" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" were printed in 1833 in a book titled Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern, by William B. Sandys. The majority of the Christmas carols we sing today were written between 1940 and 1965.

• Do You Hear What I Hear (1962)
• Frosty the Snowman (1950)
• Joy to the World (1956)
• I'll Be Home for Christmas (1943)
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1949)
• Santa Baby (1953)
• Silver Bells (1951)

Classic Christmas Carol Trivia

• "Deck the Halls" is based on a 16th century Welsh tune. No one knows who wrote the words, but it's believed that the author was an American.
• "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is an old English carol that dates to the 15th century.
• "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" was originally a very somber and restrained melody, written by Methodist Charles Wesley as a protest against the loud, bouncy nature of many Christmas carols.
• "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" dates from the 12th century and was originally written in Latin.