You must have sung with your family at one point or another: “O Come All Ye Faithful...", “Silent night, holy night…" Yes, these are the famous Christmas carols that, year after year, are usually sung during holiday festivities. These songs have a very old origin. It is believed that the first Christmas carol dates back to the year 368 A.D., whose author, Hilario de Poitiers addresses the birth of Jesus. Another origin is attributed to Pope Telesphorus, in the second century.
Although, they were not always dedicated to the birth of Jesus. In ancient times they sang to announce situations that occurred in the villages or about issues of love and heartbreak. In Spanish the name "villancico" refers to the songs performed by the "villains", or the villagers.
By the 16th century, the themes of the carols focused exclusively on religion. Today, they are in the popular domain. They are part of the essence of traditional Christmas festivities and archetype of all Christmas songs. A carol usually has a general structure of couplets and chorus, with simple harmonies and melodies, easily recognizable.
Among the best-known Christmas carols we have: “Silent Night", composed by the Austrian priest Joseph Mohr; “Campana sobre campana”, of Andalusian origin, although it is unknown who composed it, “Little drummer boy” or originally known as “Carol of the Drum”, of Czech origin, "The fish in the river” or “Los Peces en el Rio”, well known in Spain, “White Christmas", a song composed in the twentieth century by Irving Berlin, born in Russia and American naturalized. “Mi burrito sabanero” was composed in Latin America, also in the twentieth century, by Venezuelan musician Hugo Blanco. Sister Joan Agnes of the Cross wrote in 1676 the "Christmas carols that were sung in the Holy Metropolitan Church of Mexico."
And you, which carols do you know and which ones have you sung?
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