Origins Of Christmas Songs

December 24 2019.

Origins of christmas songs. The very first recorded vestiges of what became christmas songs came way before the commercialized holiday in ancient second century rome. Over the years the music for this ubiquitous christmas song has been erroneously attributed to plenty of famous composers including haydn and beethoven. Christmas carols in the english language first appear in a 1426 work of john awdlay an english chaplain who. By the 13th century under the influence of francis of assisi the tradition of popular christmas songs in regional native languages developed.

For generations christmas carols were sung by the world everywhere during the holiday season but the evolution of the familiar songs may be much different from popular perception. O come o come emmanuel. The origins of 10 popular christmas carols. Carols were first sung in europe thousands of years ago but these were not christmas carols.

Broadly defined carols express religious joy and are often associated with the christmas season. A few months ago i wrote about some of the most loved hymns in church history and the back stories that made them the classics they remain today. Christmas carols in the early 20th century. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year usually taking place around 22nd december.

The number of publications about christmas carols also spiked. But do you know how some of the world s best known christmas carols were created. Image via wikimedia commons. Charles lewis hutchins famous carols old and carols new was published in 1916.

The original writer of this haunting hymn remains unknown but the most widely acknowledged guess is a simple monk or nun. Christmas carols were mostly a victorian tradition along with trees crackers and cards. Carols are also used to describe late medieval english songs on various subjects with a verse and refrain. This song found its way into english through the 1853 publication carols for christmastide by j m.

Christmas songs the oldest ones are the best. This and other volumes of carols contributed materially to the victorian era s wholesale adoption of seasonal trimmings along with royally sanctioned christmas trees and greeting cards. December 16 2014 updated. Eugene byrne explains the why the popularity of silent night has never faded why there s always a place for hark the herald angels sing and why the british fondness of good king wenceslas has not yet subsided.

Music associated with christmas is thought to have its origins in 4th century rome in latin language hymns such as veni redemptor gentium. One named franz xaver. But the true lyricist was unknown until as recently as 1995 when an 1820 manuscript was discovered that confirmed the men behind the song. They were pagan songs sung at the winter solstice celebrations as people danced round stone circles.

The song was actually written by two austrians.