A popular Christmas song written in 1942 by American composer and lyricist Irving Berlin, Happy Holiday is now a classic of the holiday season. Popularized by the late Bing Crosby, it made its first appearance in the film Holiday Inn, released that same year. Although…
The origins of this traditional Christmas carol, The First Noel, seem somewhat mysterious, and it is difficult to establish the precise year in which it was composed. However, it is believed that it could date back to the 18th century, or even earlier, although history cannot officially prove this. However, in 1823, the words of…
The roots of this Christian Christmas carol, Joy to the World, go back as far as 1719. Isaac Watts was the author, and to write the lyrics, he was inspired by an English hymn, taken from Psalm 98 in the Bible. However, if we go back to that very distant era, the carols…
Silver Bells, a popular Christmas song, is the joint work of American composer Jay Livingston and lyricist Ray Evans. It differs somewhat from traditional Christmas carols in that the lyrics refer to a festival taking place in a town, whereas in most other holiday songs, the scene is almost always…
A Christmas song based on a nursery rhyme, and particularly popular in English-speaking countries, The Twelve Days of Christmas is said to have originated as a memory game. The lyrics, which mention twelve gifts, which must always be repeated while adding the last gift, do indeed resemble a memory game. The melody itself dates back to the 16th century,…
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year was composed in 1963 by Edward Pola, composer, actor, and television producer, and George Wyle, conductor and composer. The latter is well known for having written the theme song for the popular 1960s series, Gilligan's Island. The lyrics of the song…
Although Greensleeves was not originally a Christmas carol, it has since been revived and renamed What Child is This. According to history, it first appeared in manuscript form, written in honor of a lady with green sleeves named Anne Boleyn. Its title is said to come from…
Although not originally a Christmas carol, Ave Maria gradually became part of that category. This exceptional work by Franz Peter Schubert, an Austrian composer, dates back to 1826, when Schubert discovered the poetry of a man named Walter Scott, who inspired ten compositions. One of them, the Third Carol of Ellen…
