Christmas carols

It’s generally accepted that one of the first Christmas carols ever to be recorded was the 129 AD ‘Angels Hymn’, according to The New Daily. Around this time, Christianity-themed hymns started taking over the previous pagan songs celebrating Winter Solstice. More and more slow, solemn hymns started to emerge in the fourth century, and by the 12th, songs referring to Nativity themes and creatures had emerged.

According to Oxford Dictionaries, one of the oldest printed carols is the ‘Boar’s Head Carol’, which dates from 1521. Apparently, it was traditionally heard annually at Queen’s College, Oxford as Christmas lunch was carried in. ‘Coventry Carol’ is a Medieval carol that endures in today’s Christmas programmes; and Renaissance composer, Victoria’s ‘O magnum mysterium’ remains popular.

In addition, ‘Hark! The Herald’ – an 1840 tune from Mendelssohn. ‘Silent Night’? Composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr. ‘Good King Wenceslas’? – 1853 lyrics set to an older tune. The list goes on…

The first Christmas carols were likely created in the 4th century, after the Christian church began celebrating Christmas on December 25th. These early carols were probably simple hymns that were sung during church services to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Some of the earliest surviving Christmas carols date back to the 9th and 10th centuries, and they are written in Latin. These early carols were often quite religious in nature and focused on the themes of the nativity, the Virgin Mary, and the life of Jesus.

The history of Christmas carols goes back many centuries, and it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date of the creation of the first Christmas carol. However, it is believed that the tradition of singing Christmas carols dates back to the Middle Ages, when groups of singers would go from house to house singing songs in exchange for food and drink.

One of the oldest known Christmas carols is "Veni, Veni Emmanuel," which dates back to the 12th century. Other early carols include "Angelus ad Virginem" and "St. Joseph Was an Old Man." Many of the earliest carols were written in Latin, which was the language of the Roman Catholic Church.

During the Renaissance, Christmas carols began to be written in the vernacular languages, such as English, French, and German. Some of the most famous Christmas carols, such as "Silent Night" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," were composed during this time period.

Overall, the tradition of singing Christmas carols has evolved over many centuries, and new carols continue to be written and performed every year.