Christmas carols are part of what makes the holiday special. There’s nothing better than singing carols around the festive period. Whether it’s at a carol service, door-to-door carolling, or simply just around a piano with your loved ones, carols are an integral part of the holidays.
While we may think of carols such as “Away in a Manger” or the “12 Days of Christmas” as our favourite songs to sing, they’re not actually the most long-standing one. Carols have been part of all of our lives since we were born, but what are the oldest Christmas carols?
Unfortunately, that is not an easily answered question. It is estimated that the first Christmas-themed music came in the fourth century. However, it was not until the 12th century that it was included in religious ceremonies. From then, it was still not a staple part of the ceremony.
Some felt that having Christmas carols was inappropriate as it was meant to be a solemn holiday. Hence, carols were more likely to be heard in the streets than in the churches. Oliver Cromwell even went as far as to ban the singing of Christmas carols in the UK during his reign in the 17th century.
The early Christmas songs we do know of are, of course, religious. In the fourth century, St. Hilary of Poitiers composed the Latin carol “Jesus Refulsit Omnium” which translates to “Jesus illuminates all”. It is presumed that this song followed the first record Christmas celebration in 336 AD.
“Corde natus ex Parentis” or “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” is a carol that also originated in the 4th century. It was written by Aurelius Prudentius Clemens.
However, Christmas carols in English are a lot more recent. Again, unfortunately, it’s uncertain as to when exactly they originated. Some English carols can be traced back to the 15th century such as “This Endris Night” and “Sir Christmas” certainly festive, but are often forgotten.
The 16th century brought the more recognisable Christmas carols that we know of today. “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” originated as early as the 1650s, despite the fact that most of its lyrics have been altered from the 19th century.
In 1739, the first published version of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” came. In the century afterwards, the carols we came to know today began to take shape.
The exact date of many traditional Christmas carols is unknown, but many are predicted to be between the 13th and the 18th century. For example, “Entre le bœuf et l’âne gris” or “Between the Ox and the Grey Donkey”, “Resonet in laudibus” or “Let the voice of praise resound”/“Christ was born on Christmas Day”, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Good King Wenceslas” are all thought to have originated in this time frame.
While there’s no definitive answer as to what the oldest Christmas carol is for your festive trivia, you can impress those around you with the knowledge of what we do know. If you can learn the Latin of the oldest carols, you’ll impress them even further.
What are your favourite Christmas carols? Let us know down in the comments!
