14 Most Popular Christmas Carols
Christmas is incomplete without the Christmas carols. Here’s a list of the most popular Christmas carols that you can sing along with your family and friends and celebrate Christmas with a zeal. Also, read the facts related to each of the Christmas hymns.
1. Joy to the world
“Joy to the World,” is the most popular Christmas carol sung everywhere. It was written by Isaac Watts, and was first published in 1719. The words of this hymn glorify Christ’s triumphant return. It is considered to be the most-published Christmas hymn in North America.
2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
This popular Christmas carol was written by John Federick coots and Haven Gillespie. It is a hit among the young and old, and everyone enjoy’s singing this Christmas carol.
3. Rudolph, the red nose reindeer
Rudolph, is a fictional reindeer who has a red nose and is popularly known as Santa’s 9th Reindeer. Rudolph was considered to be the lead reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh on the Christmas eve. The carol was written by Johnny Marks based on the story written in 1939, with the same title. Its lyrics say that, the luminosity of Rudolph’s nose is so great, that it illuminates the path on which it travels.
4. We wish you a merry Christmas
This popular carol comes from the secular sixteenth century from the West Country of England. This carol is based on the English tradition, where wealthy people of the community give Christmas treats to the carolers on the Christmas eve. Since the song also includes New Year’s wishes, it is mostly sung at the end by carolers.
5. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Written by Charles Wesley, this Christmas carol first appeared in 1739. This carol required at least four people to bring it to its current form. The main purpose of this song is to wish glory to the new born Christ and praise the lord for the joy he brought when he came into this world.
6. Silent Night
“Silent Night,” is a popular Christmas carol which was written by Joseph Mohr and composed by Franz Xaver Gruber, in 1818. The song was first performed on the Christmas Eve of 1818, at St. Nicholas parish church. The song had no specific inspiration but was written, composed and sung accompanied by the tune of guitar during a mass on the night of December 24, since the church organ was not working. This carol is very peaceful, and pacifies the heart.
7. 12 days of Christmas
The twelve days of Christmas are the festive days following the Christmas day, December 25. The carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” is an English Christmas carol that enumerates a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the twelve days following Christmas. The song was first published in 1780, originally written in French. There are twelve verses, each describing a gift given by “my true love” on each of the twelve days of Christmas.
