Christmas Carols
2 min read
By Moira Andrews
The word “carol” originated around A.D. 1300. It was derived from the word “carole” which referred to a type of dance called “dancing in a ring.” Nowadays we think of carols as Christmas classics. Some songs like “Jingle bells” and “Joy to the The World” are considered classics, but there are always new ones coming out. Here is the history of how our beloved songs came to be.
According to Plymouth.ac.uk Christmas carols can be traced back to 4th century Rome and were sang in Latin. In the 9th and 10th centuries, Northern European monasteries created a song to a sequence of rhymed stanzas. The monk Adam of Saint Victor derived music from popular songs in the 12th century. This created something closer to the average Christmas carols we hear today.
Christmas caroling is a common tradition many partake in. People go from house to house singing songs and spreading positivity. This tends to be more of a religious practice now, but it didn’t used to be. According to thegospelcoalition.org, the world carols was used to refer to any festive song, but now it’s almost exclusively used to refer to Christian holidays and religious music.
When asked what his favorite Christmas carol was and why, Mr. Zimmerman said, “All I want for Christmas by Mariah Carey. Because its Mariah.”
When asked if she participates in Christmas caroling, Julia Wesolosky from CIT said, “I do participate in Christmas caroling because it has always been a family tradition of mine.”
Christmas caroling is a fun activity to do with your church or with friends and family. Spreading Christmas cheer is a great way to spend the holidays.
A few of the top ten most popular Christmas carols include, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “Joy to the World,’ “Silent Night,” “Away in a Manger,” “Jingle Bells,” “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “We wish you a Merry Christmas,” “White Christmas’, and Feliz Navidad.”
