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Origins of the Christmas carol -

Carols were first performed in the pre-Christian era as pagan songs sung at Winter Solstice celebrations while people danced around stone circles. In fact, the word carol probably derives from the Old French carole, which means a kind of dance in the ring. The medieval Latin choraula—a dance to the flute—may also serve as a progenitor.

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Early hymns -

The first Christmas hymn of the Christian Church is believed to be 'Angels Hymn,' composed in 129 CE. Another early Christmas hymn is 'Comas of Jerusalem,' written in 760 CE for the Greek Orthodox Church. Veni, redemptor gentium is a Latin Advent or Christmas hymn first performed in the 4th century in Rome. Pictured is the text and Gregorian notation.

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Medieval era -

The Middle Ages witnessed the development of Christmas prose, a sequence of rhymed stanzas first performed in monasteries across northern Europe. Soon afterwards, monks began turning to popular songs for inspiration and introduced something closer to the traditional Christmas carol.

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The Christmas carol tradition develops -

In 1223, St. Francis of Assisi began hosting his Nativity plays in Italy. Christmas songs performed as canticles were often sung in Latin, a language not everyone understood. But as the popularity of the Nativity play grew across Europe, so too did singing Christmas songs in native tongues. In fact, the 13th century witnessed the Christmas carol voiced in France, Spain, and Germany.

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Wassailing -

In the early 15th century in England, incantations were being recited by groups of wassailers, people who went from house to house singing and offering a drink from the wassail bowl in exchange for gifts. This was an early form of what we today call caroling, or singing festive songs in the street.

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'Boar's Head Carol' -

One of the oldest printed carols is the 'Boar's Head Carol.' Composed in 1521, it describes the ancient tradition of sacrificing a boar and presenting its head at a Yuletide feast.

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Piae Cantiones -

As more carols became available to the wider public in paper form, the 15th century saw the publication of the first pamphlets reproducing Latin forms of carols. Piae Cantiones (pictured), a collection of late medieval Latin songs, was first published in 1582.

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'Good King Wenceslas' -

Among the carols included in Piae Cantiones is an early version of 'Good King Wenceslas,' one of the most popular Christmas carols.

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Medieval carols -

Other popular carols that have their origins in the late medieval period include 'Coventry Carol' and 'O magnum mysterium.'

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Warmly welcomed -

The Lutheran reformation warmly welcomed Christmas music, so much so that the German priest and theologian Martin Luther authored several carols and encouraged their use in worship.

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The Puritan ban on singing carols -

But discord loomed. When Oliver Cromwell (pictured) and the Puritans came to power in England in the 1640s, the celebration of Christmas and singing carols was banned. Festivities were forced underground, with songs sung in secret.

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'While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night’ -

The 1700s heralded a succession of new Christmas carols and the publication of more Christmas music books. In 1700, the first version of 'While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night' appeared in England. It remains one of the most celebrated nativity hymns.

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'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' -

'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' was first sung in England in 1739. It features lyrical contributions from Charles Wesley and George Whitefield, two of the founding ministers of Methodism, and was composed as a hymn for Christmas Day.

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Singing into the 19th century -

Many of today's most popular carols were composed, or arranged, during the 19th century. For example, while the earliest printed version of 'I Saw Three Ships' dates back to the 17th century, it wasn't until 1833 that the version we know today was published.

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'Silent Night' -

Composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg in Austria, 'Silent Night' is arguably the most famous Christmas carol in the world. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011.

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'O Little Town of Bethlehem' -

The American Episcopal clergyman and Bishop of Massachusetts Phillips Brooks is the author of the Christmas hymn 'O Little Town of Bethlehem,' published in 1868. It's popular on both sides of the Atlantic, but sung to different tunes.

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'Away in a Manger' -

Arranged in 1882 by the American hymnwriters William J. Kirkpatrick and John R. Sweeney from a hymn originally thought to have been written by Martin Luther, 'Away in a Manger' also stands as a hugely popular festive carol.

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First Christmas carol service -

Edward White Benson (pictured), later Archbishop of Canterbury, is considered by many to have created the idea of the Christmas carol service, the first of which was conducted in Truro, a town in Cornwall, England, in 1880.

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Caroling -

As singing Christmas carols became more popular among the public, so too did the practice of caroling—the activity of going from house to house singing festive songs, a throwback to the wassailing of the 15th century.

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Christmas carol church service -

Meanwhile, the advent of the Christmas church service afforded everyday folk the opportunity to attend church and celebrate the festive season.

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Religious event -

In turn, the Church took its choirs out onto the street to turn caroling into a more recognized outdoors religious event.

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Christmas carol greeting cards -

The Christmas carol became a favorite theme of seasonal greeting cards in the late 19th century, and the tradition continues today.

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Why do we sing carols? -

Singing a Christmas carol is a way of telling the story of the Nativity and the birth of Jesus Christ. Carols are seen as spreading joy and warmth during the coldest months of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. And, very simply, a song sung at Christmas can help raise spirits and reinforce a sense of hope and well-being. Pictured in 1952 are nurses in a London hospital singing Christmas carols to one of the patients recovering in bed.

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Dial-A-Carol -

A novel idea that brought the Christmas carol into the homes of thousands of Americans was Dial-A-Carol. The operation was conceived in 1960, whereby members of the public could telephone a switchboard manned by students at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and request their favorite carol be played back down the line. Dial-A-Carol is still taking calls today.

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Carols by Candlelight -

The run-up to Christmas sees numerous services known as Carols by Candlelight take place across the Christian world. These can be intimate, low-key events such as the one pictured at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London during a crib blessing.

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Singing by candlelight -

Or they can be attended by thousands, such as this Christmas carol get-together by fans of 1. FC Union Berlin soccer club.

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Midnight Mass -

Midnight Mass, the traditional midnight vigil that takes place on Christmas Eve, often lists well-known carols on the hymn sheet.

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Nine Lesson and Carols -

One of the most venerable services of Christian worship traditionally celebrated on or near Christmas Eve is the Nine Lesson and Carols. Its origins date back to the previously mentioned 1880 Christmas service in Truro, though it's more closely associated with King's College in Cambridge, England. The Nine Lessons and Carols is held widely in many countries.

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Caroling today -

In its simplest form, however, singing Christmas carols is about getting together with friends and loved ones and voicing in music and words a warm and friendly festive season message.

Sources: (whychristmas?com) (Classic FM) (Etymonline) (UNESCO)

See also: What is the meaning and significance of Midnight Mass?

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