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The History of Christmas Carols 15

The History of Christmas

Carols

Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of
years ago, but these were not Christmas Carols.
They were pagan songs, sung at the Winter
Solstice celebrations as people danced round
stone circles (The word carol originally meant
to dance to something). The Winter Solstice is
the shortest day of the year, usually taking place
around the 22nd December. The word Carol
actually means dance or a song of praise and
joy! Carols used to be written and sung during
all four seasons, but only the tradition of singing
them at Christmas has really survived.
Early Christians took over the pagan
solstice celebrations for Christmas and gave
people Christian songs to sing instead of pagan
ones. In 129, a Roman Bishop said that a song
called "Angel's Hymn" should be sung at a
Christmas service in Rome. Another famous
early Christmas Hymn was written in 760, by
Comas of Jerusalem, for the Greek Orthodox was sometimes known as 'watchnight' or continue to remain" and 'merry' could mean
Church. Soon after this many composers all 'waitnight' because of the shepherds were "pleasant, bountiful, prosperous". So you could
over Europe started to write 'Christmas carols'. watching their sheep when the angels appeared write the first line as "[May] God keep you and
However, not many people liked them as they to them.), when the Christmas celebrations continue to make you successful and
were all written and sung in Latin, a language began. prosperous, Gentlemen" but that would be hard
that the normal people couldn't understand. By Also, at this time, many orchestras and to sing!
the time of the Middles Ages (the 1200s), most choirs were being set up in the cities of England The comma in the phrase should be
people had lost interest in celebrating Christmas and people wanted Christmas songs to sing, so AFTER the 'merry' not BEFORE it! But it's
altogether. carols once again became popular. Many new often put after the merry which changes the
This was changed by St. Francis of carols, such as 'Good King Wenceslas', were meaning to make 'merry Gentleman' and so a
Assisi when, in 1223, he started his Nativity also written in the Victorian period. 'Merry Christmas'!
Plays in Italy. The people in the plays sang New carols services were created and The term 'Merry Christmas' might well
songs or 'canticles' that told the story during the became popular, as did the custom of singing have been made very popular in 1843 from two
plays. Sometimes, the choruses of these new carols in the streets. Both of these customs are different sources.
carols were in Latin; but normally they were all still popular today! One of the most popular The first Christmas Card, sent in 1843
in a language that the people watching the play types of Carols services are Carols by by Sir Henry Cole, had this wording on it: "A
could understand and join in! The new carols Candlelight services. At this service, the church Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to
spread to France, Spain, Germany and other is only lit by candlelight and it feels very You".
European countries. Christmassy! Carols by Candlelight services are A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The earliest carol, like this, was written held in countries all over the world. was also published in 1843 and the phrase
in 1410. Sadly only a very small fragment of it The most famous type of Carol Service 'Merry Christmas' appears 21 times in the book!
still exists. The carol was about Mary and Jesus might be a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Charles Dickens also quoted "God Rest You
meeting different people in Bethlehem. Most where carols and Bible readings tell the Merry, Gentlemen" in A Christmas Carol, but
Carols from this time and the Elizabethan Christmas Story. [] changed it to: "God bless you, merry
period are untrue stories, very loosely based on gentleman! May nothing you dismay!" moving
the Christmas story, about the holy family and Merry Christmas and the comma to before the merry!
were seen as entertaining rather than religious The Carol "We Wish You a Merry
songs. They were usually sung in homes rather Happy Christmas Christmas [and a Happy New Year]" is another
than in churches! Traveling singers or Minstrels old carol from the 'West Country' (South West
started singing these carols and the words were We wish people a 'Happy Birthday', and if England) but was only first published in 1935
changed for the local people wherever they you're in the USA in November and December and this probably confirmed the use of 'Merry
were traveling. One carols that changed like this you might say 'Happy Holidays', so why do we Christmas' over 'Happy Christmas'. []
is 'I Saw Three Ships'. say 'Merry Christmas' more often than 'Happy
When Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans Christmas'?! WATCH
came to power in England in 1647, the Saying 'Merry Christmas' rather than
celebration of Christmas and singing carols was 'Happy Christmas' seems to go back several THE ‘X’ ZONE CHANNEL
stopped. However, the carols survived as people hundred years. It's first recorded in 1534 when
still sang them in secret. Carols remained John Fisher (an English Catholic Bishop in the
mainly unsung until Victorian times, when two 1500s) wrote it in a Christmas letter to Thomas
men called William Sandys and Davis Gilbert Cromwell in 1534 "And this our Lord God send
collected lots of old Christmas music from you a mery Christmas, and a comfortable, to
villages in England. your heart’s desire."
Before carol singing in public became There's also the carol "God Rest You
popular, there were sometimes official carol Merry, Gentlemen" which dates back to the 16th
singers called 'Waits'. These were bands of century in England. It comes from the West
people led by important local leaders (such as Country in England and it was first published in
council leaders) who had the only power in the the form we know it today in 1760.
towns and villages to take money from the In the English language of the time, the
public (if others did this, they were sometimes phrase 'Rest You Merry' didn't mean simply to
charged as beggars!). They were called 'Waits' be happy; 'rest' meant "to keep, cause to www.simulTV.com
because they only sang on Christmas Eve (This