Christmas carols are an age-old holiday practice that began in Rome in the 4th century and spread to Europe by the 14th century. After the Christian missionary work done by European missionaries, the celebration of Christmas became global, and so did the singing of carols.
The many cultures exposed to Christmas carols have made them exist in different languages and styles. These variations make everyone celebrating the holiday feel included.
And with new music genres popping up frequently or undergoing modification, Christmas carols are also re-molded to fit the likings of different communities. With all the carols available today, the most popular ones are numerous.
In this article, we will show you the ten most popular carols you can try this Christmas and discuss their roles in today’s celebrations.
The Role of Christmas Carols in Modern Celebrations
Spreading Holiday Cheer
Christmas carols and decorations are the ultimate indicators of the holidays. The carols’ tunes and lyrics immediately make the mood nostalgic and adaptive.
Carolers who go from door to door sometimes sing carols to people with little or no company for the holidays. This gives such people a chance to experience holiday cheer too.
Corporations also spread holiday cheer by using these carols in their advertisements, showing amazing offers and discounts on various items. They also play these carols in their shopping branches to show their holiday spirit.
Community Bonding
Christmas is another chance for families and friends to come together and spend quality time. Many families treasure this time because of their precious time together, especially if most members aren’t physically around each other often.
Many families can also plan to meet and have group activities to multiply the fun and increase the bond they have with each other. Carols are sung during these gatherings to bring people into the Christmas mood and bond over the nostalgia brought by them.
Block parties also blossom this time of year, benefitting the whole community by eliminating the individualism among people and creating a space where neighbors meet and know each other. The DJ’s mixes usually play Carols in the background to maintain the Christmas mood.
Maintaining Tradition
Christmas is one of those holidays that is full of traditions, whether individual or already common ones. Carols have always been a tradition that was always faithfully kept.
They may vary per community but maintaining the carol-singing tradition gives Christmas its base and adds to the anticipation. So whether it’s the old carols or urban ones, everyone counts as a tradition that must be kept.
Religious Observance
Christmas is a Christian holiday used to celebrate the birth of the son of God, Jesus Christ, on earth. With all the activities people carry out, some forget this fact. This is when churches exclusively sing carols throughout the service and have fun doing it to celebrate their savior’s coming.
Congregants also take this time to observe the teachings from the carols and Bible and do community-bettering activities such as trash clean-ups and sharing food with the homeless.
Entertainment
Carols can be the beginner of Christmas entertainment. Whenever the month of December reaches its peak, the sound of Christmas carols indicates the time to hang up the decorations.
Many artists have also made Christmas tunes that have become nostalgic and are still as lovely as they were when they were first released. Christmas movies, skits, and plays also have these carols in them and play a part in bringing families together because they enhance the season’s energy.
Charitable Activities
Christmas is not just about receiving gifts and having fun. Some carols have lines where they encourage people to give. Many people don’t have the privilege of experiencing luxuries. So, you may choose to observe the carols’ teachings and take the time to participate in making such people have the same pleasures they can afford.
Activities such as soup kitchens and face painting are usually put up, and people get to use their talents to help the less fortunate while giving humanity hope.
Enhancing Mood
With everything that happens on Christmas Day, there’s little chance for your mood to remain unchanged. Beginning with the time with family and friends, the many delicacies prepared, and the many forms of entertainment made available, there’s usually no room for dullness.
Carols also raise people’s moods because of the aura of the season’s festivities they carry. The sound of them anywhere puts people in the Christmas mood.
Educational for Children
Christmas carols are educational to children by teaching them about being a giver rather than a receiver if they want to keep being blessed. Taking the time to do the most with the people they love during Christmas will teach them the importance of making time for family members.
Others encourage them to engage in charitable activities held to teach them to see life from different perspectives, good and bad, and how they can do something about changing that. Religious teachings found in the carols also teach them about the holiday’s meaning and origin.
Most Popular Christmas Carol To Try This Festive Season
- Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells with Lyrics | Christmas Songs HD | Christmas Songs and Carols
Jingle Bells is a catchy Christmas carol classic that was written in 1850 by a man called James Lord Pierpont. His inspiration was drawn from the jingling of bells on horse harnesses traveling in the snow. Its catchy nature made it quickly gain popularity worldwide and become a classic.
- Joy to the World
Joy to the World with Lyrics | Christmas Carol & Song
This carol is a derivation from a bible verse. An English hymnist, Isaac Watts wrote it with inspiration from Psalms 98 where King David of the bible wrote it to praise God and his impact on the world. It was first published in 1719 and has become popular ever since.
- Silent Night
Silent Night with Lyrics | Christmas Carol
Silent Night first began as mere words written by Austrian Priest, Joseph Mohr, in 1816. An organist, Franz Xaver, then composed the carol to Joseph Mohr’s words in 1818. The song was later recorded in 1905 and thereafter sung by many artists as it gained popularity among people.
- Twelve Days of Christmas
Twelve Days of Christmas with Lyrics Christmas Carol & Song
This is an English Christmas carol whose best-known melody is linked to the English composer, Frederick Austin. It isn’t necessarily based on matters of Christianity but is simply a fun song sung by people of all ages for their amusement. Many variations use other items in the song, such as food or drinks.
- Deck the Halls
Deck the Halls with Lyrics | Christmas Songs and Carols
Deck the Halls is of 16th-century Welsh melody and English lyrics written by musician Thomas Oliphant. It was first published in 1862 and has had a few variations. Since its publication, it has become a yearly holiday favorite.
- O Come All Ye Faithful
O Come All Ye Faithful with Lyrics | Christmas Songs & Carols
This carol was written by a team of many writers who used Latin to write the song. Later, translations were done by different people until it was rewritten in the 18th century. Today we don’t sing the original version, but the refined 19th century version.
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas with Lyrics | Christmas Carol & Song
This carol used to be sung in the 1500s by poor carolers to the wealthy asking them for figgy pudding. English composer, Arthur Warrell later rearranged the song and modified its lyrics into four parts and first performed it in 1935. He then published it in 1939 and it has remained popular since.
- Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Hark the Herald Angels Sing with Lyrics | Christmas Carol & Song
Hark the Herald Angels Sing is a hymn written by an English Methodist called Charles Wesley. It was first published in 1739 with a different format that underwent revision by George Whitfield in 1753 who changed it to its present lyrics. An organist called William Cummings then gave it its present tune in 1855 and it was first sung in 1861 in Waltham Abbey.
- Feliz Navidad
José Feliciano – Feliz Navidad (Official Audio)
This song was written by Puerto Rican singer, Jose Feliciano, and recorded in 1970. The song’s lyrics are Spanish but have some English lines. It quickly gained popularity and became a classic because of its catchy tunes and lyrics.
- Mary’s Boy Child/ Oh My Lord
Boney M. – Mary’s Boy Child 1978
This is a recent song written by Boney M. and released in 1978. Its lyrics, tune, and music video were interesting and easy to sing along to, making it earn the title of being a Christmas classic. It has a calypso rhythm and derivations from Harry Belafonte’s 1956 song, Mary’s Boy Child.
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you understand the role of Christmas carols in the holidays. Teach children about the importance of carols so that they never have to wonder about their existence.
The tracks we have given as samples of the most popular Christmas music will work great as background music for Christmas brunches and parties. You can even dance to some of them because they carry a great deal of Christmas spirit and magic in them. Sing them along or listen to them and see how changing and hip-swaying they are.
