Traditional Christmas Carols

Christmas Carols

Now that it is December, I am so excited to be posting lots of Christmas content, both here on my blog and on my Instagram (@undeniable.joy). There is nothing that gets me more in the mood for Christmas than Christmas music, so today I have compiled a list of my favorite Christmas carols. These aren’t in any particular order (except Go Tell it on the Mountain, which is my all time favorite).

1. Go Tell it on the Mountain is a song of joy proclaiming the birth of Christ. It is credited to John Wesley Works, who included it in his song book in 1907.  
2. O Holy Night was penned in 1847 in France by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure, a poet. He  wrote it based on the gospel of Luke and his friend Adolphe Charles Adams put it to music.
3. O Come O Come Emmanuel is based a Latin poem, which was written around 1100. The modern version of this hymn was written by John Mason Neale in the mid 1800s.
4. O Come All Ye Faithful is a hymn calling all of the followers of God to rejoice in the birth of the Messiah. The original hymn was written by John Francis Wade in the middle of the eighteenth century, but the modern english version was written by Frederick Oakeley in 1852.  
5. Angels We Have Heard On High is based on the gospel of Luke and the account of the angels the shepherds saw in Bethlehem. It is a traditional French carol dating back to the 18th century.
6. Joy to the World was written in 1719 by Isaac Watts. He based the lyrics off of Psalm 98. The song as we know it today was composed by G. F. Handel in 1742.
7. Silent Night is based on Luke 2:16. It was written in 1816 by Joseph Mohr and composed in 1818 by Franz Gruber. It originated in Germany, but it one of the most widely known carols.
8. Hark the Herald Angels Sing was written by Charles Wesley, brother to John Wesley (the founder of the Methodist Church) in 1739. It is saying to listen because the messengers of God are singing.
9. Away in a Manger is also based on Luke’s account of the gospel, specifically Luke 2:7. The lyrics were penned in 1885, but the composer is unknown. This song was featured in one of Martin Luther’s song books for the Lutheran Church and stanza three was added years later, also with no specific author.
10. We Three Kings of Orient Are was written by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. around 1857. It describes in detail the magi and the gifts that they brought with them.

Here is a spotify playlist of all the best traditional carols! Happy December!   https://open.spotify.com/user/lkkmusic6/playlist/7qORuJENc2Uv4rWtAfkulp