Christmas carol facts for kids
A Christmas carol is a special song or hymn about Christmas. It is also sometimes called a "noël," which is a French word for Christmas. People usually sing these songs during the Christmas season or on Christmas Day itself.
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History of Christmas Carols
Carols have a very long history. They were first sung thousands of years ago in Europe. Back then, people called pagans sang them to celebrate the Winter solstice. This was the shortest day of the year.
Later, during the Middle Ages, carols became part of formal church services. They were sung in rituals like the Catholic Mass.
Wassailing Tradition
The idea of going from house to house singing carols was not always part of Christmas. This tradition comes from something much older called "wassailing." The word "wassail" comes from an old Anglo-Saxon greeting, "Wæs þu hæl." This means "be in good health."
Wassailing was about wishing good luck to your neighbors. This is where songs like "Here We Come-A-Wassailing" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" came from.
During the Victorian era in England, singing carols and wassailing joined together. This created the modern custom of Christmas caroling that many people enjoy today.
Christmas Carols in Classical Music
Christmas carols have also inspired many classical composers. In the late 1600s, two French composers included carols in their works. Louis-Claude Daquin wrote 12 noels for the organ. Marc-Antoine Charpentier created instrumental versions of noels. He also wrote a major choral piece called "Messe de minuit pour Noël."
Other famous examples of carols in classical music include:
- Ralph Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Christmas Carols, created in 1912.
- Victor Hely-Hutchinson: Carol Symphony, from 1927.
- Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony of Carols (for choir and harp), written in 1942.
- Christina Rossetti's poem "In the Bleak Midwinter" has been set to music by composers like Gustav Holst (1905) and Harold Darke (1911).
- The Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki used the carol "Silent Night" in his Second Symphony. This symphony is sometimes called the Christmas Symphony.
Images for kids
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Christmas carol group at Bangalore, India
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A brass band playing Christmas carols
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A 1582 published version of the Latin carol Personent hodie
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19th-century carol books such as Christmas Carols, New and Old (1871) helped to make carols popular
See also
In Spanish: Villancico navideño para niños
