History of Christmas Carols |
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“The earth has grown old with its burden of care
But at Christmas it always is young,
The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair
And its soul full of music breaks the air,
When the song of angels is sung.”--Phillips Brooks |
Yes, it’s Christmas time when the air is filled with music; music that brings us close and helps us take an in depth look into the true essence of human relationships. As we all know that the content of Christmas carols is based on the theme of Christmas, or the winter season in general. They are conventionally sung in the period before and during Christmas. Such is the charm of Christmas carols that Christmas can’t be imagined without music. So, Christmas and carols go hand in hand. But sometimes we forget to ask a very interesting question “Why do people sing carols?” Let’s unfold the history of Christmas Carols and take an insight into the significance of caroling.
The tradition of Christmas carols can be traced back to the thirteenth century, although carols were originally communal songs sung during festivities like harvesttide as well as Christmas. It was only later that carols began to be diligently rehearsed and sung in church, and to be specifically associated with Christmas. A popular myth says that the tradition of carols is related to the birth of Jesus. The thought of singing carols originated from the songs the angels sang when they met the shepherds to give the news of Christ's birth. Another legend says that Christmas carols are actually named after a little girl named Carol Poles who disappeared in 1888 in the Whitechaple district of London. According to the myth the girl was found missing around the Christmas time. So, people went searching for her at night. In those days, the district of Whitechaple was haunted with the terror figure Jack the Ripper, the serial killer. So, the masses sang Christmas carols upon knocking in order to declare their good intentions. Interesting, hmm…from Christian themes to Jack the Ripper, the faceless prowler of the dark night, the history of Christmas carols is masked in mystery.
So, let’s leave behind the misty traditions and peep into the real history of carols. Carols were actually communal dances which used to take place at any time of the year .The scene brought images of "coronet" and from there the term "carols" is derived. It was from 16th century onwards they became an integral part of the celebrations of Christmas
and till date remain so. So, on this Christmas participate in the tunes irrespective of your religion and experience the true essence of Christianity.
Also see our section on the popular and top Christmas Carols.
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