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Christmas Carols and the Caroling Tradition

’Tis the Season

Old Christmas (by Irving, Washington)
The Works of Washington Irving (by Washington Irving)
Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern; In... (by Sandys, William)
Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern (by John Camden Hotten)
The Christmas Book of Carols and Songs : (by Anson, W. S. W)

The holidays are a festive time of year—a time for giving, spending time with family and friends, and spreading holiday cheer. It’s also the season for enjoying Christmas music and carols.

In Old Christmas, Washington Irving writes “I do not know a grander effect of music on the moral feelings than to hear the full choir and the pealing organ performing a Christmas anthem in a cathedral.”

Christmas caroling as we know it today dates back to the 19th century. According to Time Magazine, “Caroling itself didn’t always involve Christmas and the ancient tradition of traveling from house to house to wish neighbors good cheer didn’t always involve singing.”

Caroling’s history goes back to England and Norway. In England, the word wassail—derived from the Old Norse ves heill meaning “be well, and in good health”—meant wishing good fortune on your neighbors. No one is quite sure when the custom began, but the song “Here We Come-A-Wassailing” emerged from this song. Later, it evolved into the popular song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

Caroling also known as Wassailing and Yulesinging, claims to be distinguished from begging, however caroling may have been originally done by the poor who would obtain “handouts” at Christmas time, as noted in the carol We Wish You a Merry Christmas, "Oh, bring us some figgy pudding,: And bring it right here"

Caroling enjoyed popularity during Victorian times. According to Victorian-era.org, after Christmas dinner was served and the presents were opened, everyone would gather around the piano. Someone in the crowd played the music and everyone sang carols.

The 19th century witnessed the commercialization of Christmas. Time Magazine cited that publishers introduced anthologies of carols, many which were ancient hymns. Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern by William B. Sandys was the first to print “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “The First Noel,” and “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.” The World Library Foundation’s collection also includes Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern by John Camden Hotten.

Donald Gardner tells the story behind the “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” song. In 1944, schoolteacher Donald Yetter Gardner and his wife collaborated with a group of second-graders to compose a Christmas song. It was written from the perspective of a child who had a simple wish. Writer Kristy Puchko notes, “While there are different versions of the origin, they all involve a bunch of children saying, ‘All I want for Christmas is…’ It’s not so much that any students wished for those absent front teeth, but more that Gardner was charmed by their requests hindered by toothless lisping.”

A school performance of the song eventually led to a meeting with M. Witmark & Sons, a leading publisher of sheet music. In 1948, Spike Jones And His City Slickers recorded the song. Gardner later resigned from his teaching job to work as a music consultant. He claimed royalties on the song until his death in 2004.

For more on the history of Christmas carols, read The Christmas Book of Carols and Songs by W.S.W. Anson.

By Regina Molaro