| Most of us grew up singing Christmas carols, learning | | | | Traveling singers or Minstrels started singing these |
| the lyrics to classics such as Jingle Bells or Rudolph | | | | carols and the words were changed for the local |
| the Red Nosed Reindeer, at a very young age. But | | | | people wherever they were traveling. |
| believe it or not, carols have been sung for | | | | When Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans came to |
| thousands of years and didn't start for the sake of | | | | power in England in 1647, the celebration of |
| Christmas. They were sang pagans who were | | | | Christmas and singing carols was stopped. Puritans at |
| celebrating Winter Solstice. Carols were accompanies | | | | that time disapproved as well of the celebration of |
| by celebrations and people dancing around stone | | | | Christmas, and did not close shop on that day, but |
| circles. This is why the word carol is actually has | | | | continued to work through December 25. However, |
| Greek roots, originally pronounced choraulein, meaning | | | | the carols survived as people still sang them in secret. |
| "an ancient circle dance performed to flute music." | | | | Those caught singing Christmas carols could be fined |
| Because the carols became a custom and tradition, | | | | five shillings for demonstrating Christmas spirit. Carols |
| early Christians decided to take over the celebrations | | | | remained mainly unsung until Victorian times until 1660 |
| rather than ban them, changing out the songs for | | | | when King Charles II restored the Stuarts to the |
| more Christian ones. In AD 129, a Roman Bishop said | | | | throne. The public was once again able to practice |
| that a song called 'Angel's Hymn' should be sung at a | | | | the singing of Christmas carols. |
| Christmas service in Rome. Soon many composers all | | | | Before carol singing in public became popular, there |
| over Europe started to write carols. However, not | | | | were sometimes official carol singers called 'Waits'. |
| many people liked them as they were all written and | | | | These were bands of people led by important local |
| sung in Latin, a language that the normal people | | | | leaders (such as council leaders) who had the only |
| couldn't understand. By the time of the Middles Ages | | | | power in the towns and villages to take money from |
| (the 1200s), most people had lost interest in | | | | the public (If others did this, they were sometimes |
| celebrating Christmas altogether. | | | | charged as beggars!). They were called 'Waits' |
| St. Francis of Assisi changed this in 1223, when he | | | | because they only sang on Christmas Eve (This was |
| started his Nativity Plays in Italy. The plays included | | | | sometimes known as 'watchnight' or 'waitnight' |
| songs or 'canticles' that told a story during the play. | | | | because of the shepherds were watching their sheep |
| The songs were typically written in the people's | | | | when the angels appeared to them.), when the |
| language which then gave rise to carol's popularity | | | | Christmas celebrations began. |
| again among the masses. The earliest carol that was | | | | Also, at this time, many orchestras and choirs were |
| actually written down came out in 1410. Only a very | | | | being set up in the cities of England and people |
| small fragment of it still exists in historic records. The | | | | wanted Christmas songs to sing, so carols once again |
| carol was about Mary and Jesus meeting different | | | | became popular. Many new carols such as 'Good King |
| people in Bethlehem. | | | | Wenceslas', were also written. |
| Most carols from this time and the Elizabethan period | | | | New carols services were created and became |
| were untrue stories, very loosely based on the | | | | popular, as did the custom of singing carols in the |
| Christmas story, about the holy family and were | | | | streets. Both of these customs are still popular today |
| seen as entertaining rather than religious songs. They | | | | and fortunately one can sing Christmas carols as |
| were usually sung in homes rather than in churches. | | | | much as they would like without being fined. |