Marvelous Christmas Carols In The History
Christmas songs are certainly some of the fondest memories a lot of us have from our childhood. As a child, we never question these things, we just listen to them and grow to love them.
This lens will take you by the hand and guide you into the marvellous world of Christmas Songs and Carols, their history and most popular themes.
Let's begin...
Photo: © Anne Kitzman | Dreamstime.com
History of Christmas Carols and Songs
Legend says that the first Christmas chant would have been sang when Jesus is born. Can you imagine that it is well over 2,000 years ago?
However, it was because of the influence of Saint Francis of Assisi that Christmas songs have been written in a vernacular language and that their number increased.
Born in Italy, Christmas songs arrived in England where they have been associated with dances and became the famous Christmas carols. Time passed and the tradition changed: people also sang to raise funds for charity, receive gifts or a wassail bowl. Christmas carols have been added to the American culture from all over, from England to Australia.
Back in the 15th century when Johannes Gutenberg conceived the mechanical printing press, this allowed for things to be copied in a fairly short amount of time which meant that the words and lyrics to the Christmas carols could be copied again and again and distributed, which is what made Christmas carols become so popular.
Around this same time, Christianity was the greatest part of everyone's life and thus, Christmas was also really important. Unfortunately, the puritans and other uptight people did not believe in Christmas carols and when the puritans governed the country of England from 1649 to 1660, they actually banned Christmas carols of any kind.
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The Messiah
Handel
Most of reknowned Christmas carols have been written from the mid-1700's to the early 1800's and are still popular today.
In 1742 there has been a fundraiser in Ireland where George Frederich Handel performed his famous "Messiah" carol.
Skipping ahead to the current times, it is so much easier now to make a Christmas song than it once was, and even if the artists attempt a new Christmas song or carol, everyone always goes back to those songs that they grew up with. Mankind tends to stick to traditions and in all honesty, any new carol that might be created will never take the place of the oldies like Silent Night or White Christmas. There are so many that we all make a part of our annual holiday season and none of them are really all that new.
Photo: © Rxr3rxr3 | Dreamstime.com
More Marvelous Christmas Carols And Songs
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Stille Nacht
Silent Night
As for "Silent Night", it has been written in 1818 by the Austrian Joseph Mohr and its original title was "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht". The organ of his church had broken and he wanted to write a song that could be accompanied by a guitar instead of this instrument and then, he wrote this marvellous Christmas carol.
One of the best ways to celebrate the Christmas season is to gather around and sing songs with your family and friends.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Origins of Christmas Carols
We all know them, we all love them and traditionally, most of us sing them come Christmas time. What we do not know how they originated. A lot of Christmas carols were originally written poems and then later converted into songs.
Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
This was also written as a poem by Phillip Brooks and then turned into a song a few years later in 1868.
Away In A Manager
This was actually written as a carol by W.J. Kilpatrick and was meant for the kids of a Sunday school class to perform and happens to be one of today's favorites among the children.
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
The lyric writer here was Charles Wesley in 1739 and as a form of an adapted tune from Mendelsohn, W.H. Cummings put the lyrics to music.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Marvellous Christmas Songs From Old Movies
Every year, both radio and television take advantage of the holiday season to produce programs containing Christmas carols that we hear since we are children.
Before the creation of these media, people roamed from one house to a different one singing Christmas carols and receiving a mug of beverage after their performance.
It is during the 20th century that radios appeared and replaced these "artists", echoing the beautiful strains of Silent Night and Joy to the World.
The advent of television provided us a myriad of Christmas shows that have since become the holiday classics a lot of us love and enjoy every year.
Photo: © Lucy Cherniak | Dreamstime.com
More Christmas Songs and Carols
O Come All Ye Faithful
This song was originally a Latin song "Adeste Fideles" and was translated into English in 1760.
The First Noel
Was first published in 1833 and has become another one of the most popular carols even to this day.
The 12 days of Christmas
This song was originally developed in England to teach children the meaning of Christmas.
Marvelous Christmas Carols and Songs
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A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens
The famous "A Christmas Carol" written by Charles Dickens, adapted for television has become a classic of these shows. Who does not know the stingy Ebenezer Scrooge and his conversion from a spiteful and greedy old body to a kind, generous and grandfatherly gentleman?
Several Christmas songs are largely and regularly featured in any adaptation you care to watch.
The lyrics of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Silent Night" are sung by a multitude of young boys hoping to get a reward from their performance; consisting of a mug of the hot alcoholic and spicy drink and some cakes.
Scrooge - The Morning After The Ghosts - famous scene from the classic movie A Christmas Carol
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It's A Wonderful Life!
A Christmas Classic
Another of these Christmas shows is the movie "It's a Wonderful Life", performed by James Stewart and Henry Travers.
It is the story of a man, George Bailey, who is depressed and of an angel, Clarence Odbody, sent on earth to show him all the good he has done and what life would have been for the others if he had not been there.
Remember the entire family Bailey singing "Joy to the World" around the Christmas tree... Yes, it is actually a wonderful life!
Photo: © Alexey Arkhipov | Dreamstime.com
White Christmas
by Bing Crosby
There is a movie that has been and still is the most watched and gave birth to the best selling Christmas song... "White Christmas" performed by the one and only Bing Crosby. Nowadays this song is still the most popular Christmas song in the world.
Who does not remember the fantastic "Christmas Special" held by Bing Crosby for many years? Actually, each one of these shows had a great number of movie-stars like Fred Astaire, Mary Martin, Andre Previn... Every guest would have to sing a Christmas song such as "White World of Winter", "Jingle Bells", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", and many more; alone or in duet with Bing Crosby.
In his very last Christmas special Crosby did a duet with David Bowie. It was an interpretation of The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth.
Exactly like White Christmas, it is certainly one of the most wonderful Christmas songs ever created.
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prosperity66 has been a member since February 24 2007, has rated 970 lenses, favorited 172, and has created 62 lenses from scratch. Dom Halet donates their royalties to Polar Bears International. This member's top-ranked page is "Make Your Own Christmas Wreath". See all my lenses
What are your favorite Christmas Carols and Songs?
Hello and thank you so much for visiting my lens:)
Did you like it? Did you dislike it? Did you learn something about it? Would you want to learn more? Or else, would you like to share your own knowledge and/or experience with us, feel free to do so below :)
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- WeddingZazzle WeddingZazzle Dec 7, 2009 @ 8:11 pm
- Great lens Dom. Love Christmas time! Christmas songs are the kind of songs that once you listen to them, they stay in your head all day long. Heard Jingle Bells on the radio today and now I cant get it out of my head...lol.
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- prosperity66 prosperity66 Dec 8, 2009 @ 3:07 am
- Thanks, WeddingZazzle, now I also have this carol in my head...
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- SkinCareGeek SkinCareGeek Dec 6, 2009 @ 12:22 pm
- 'Tis the season! :) Interesting lens Dom - never knew Silent Night was originally German. Great little background tidbits.
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- prosperity66 prosperity66 Dec 8, 2009 @ 3:07 am
- Thanks :)
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- anonomus anonomus Dec 3, 2009 @ 12:34 pm
- i love all i think christmas is a maguical time of the year my favs are
o little town of bethlehem and o holy nighjt and silent night
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- Jewelsofawe Jewelsofawe Nov 23, 2009 @ 2:21 pm
- Wonderful lens! Blessed by an angel!
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- prosperity66 prosperity66 Nov 6, 2009 @ 12:20 pm
- Thanks a lot for your kind comments and for sharing your own feelings with me :)
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- HorseAndPony HorseAndPony Nov 6, 2009 @ 11:58 am
- Love Christmas music. We start listening the day after Thanksgiving and don't stop to the new year. I love your intro image. Your lens is beautiful.
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- KarateKatGraphics KarateKatGraphics Oct 18, 2009 @ 9:13 am
- Used to love caroling as a kid. Probably a little to self-conscious to do it now, but I love listening to great Christmas music! 5* and rolling this to Top 10 Christmas CDs
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- jgelien jgelien Oct 6, 2009 @ 7:56 pm
- Oh, I just love all things Christmas! Thank you for the wonderful lens. It makes me very nostalgic.
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- prosperity66 prosperity66 Aug 12, 2009 @ 11:18 am | in reply to mbgphoto
- In all honesty, I don't like both Fall and Winter season. Fortunately, there are Halloween and Christmas to help me survive those seasons! And I LOVE hearing Christmas carols everywhere I go. They make me feel so comfortable, relaxed and happy :-)
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- mbgphoto mbgphoto Aug 12, 2009 @ 10:32 am
- I love Christmas carols. I start playing them right after Thanksgiving and it is truly a wonderful time of year. The best moment has got to be being in a church at the midnight service on Christmas Eve, surrounded by my family, and singing Silent Night by candle light! Doesn't get much better than that!
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- aLundy aLundy Aug 3, 2009 @ 5:14 am
- This is a really special lens - glad I found it.
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- tdove tdove Jan 12, 2009 @ 2:36 pm
- Thanks for joining G Rated Lense Factory!
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- prosperity66 prosperity66 Dec 15, 2008 @ 10:06 am
- Oh my goodness! You're so right! While building the lens, I thought that something was missing but was unable to find what... Well, they are the videos!!!! Thanks for the reminder!
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- dannystaple dannystaple Dec 15, 2008 @ 6:52 am
- I like this - a good festive lens reminding me of singing carols. Perhaps a couple of Youtube clips of singing would be a good enhancement to it? My favourite carol - probably has to be Silent Night.
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Christmas Carols And Songs On Twitter
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- helptheageduk
- Carols, mince pies & the oldest boy band? A Star for Christmas concert in Manchester on Saturday http://bit.ly/4KCyxf
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- amaliaanderson
- http://twitpic.com/snaz9 - i would like to go here now and sing christmas carols.
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- DGreeting
- In Germany, disapproval of carols resulted in some being converted into hymns. #Christmas #omgfacts http://uurl.in/D2pVH
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- bear_nagata
- RT @theoreticalgurl: Advent Calendar Day 8. Two carols I recorded last Christmas, sorry if you already have 'em!...... http://bit.ly/3L5sKA
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- IamMEandU
- Summer dayz. Christmas carols don't come to mind.
Christmas Takes The Web By The Storm!
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