Singing with joy: The story of Christmas carols

It’s Christmas Eve, 1914. World War I has been raging for several months. German soldiers and their British counterparts camped in France are huddled in their muddy trenches.

Suddenly the German side begins singing “Silent Night” in their native language. The British side claps and reciprocates, singing the same carol in English.

What followed this act of goodwill would become known in history as the Christmas Truce – a miracle, a sign of peace amidst horror, a reminder of humanity.

Along certain parts of the Western Front, groups of British and German forces cautiously stepped out of their trenches on Christmas Day, crossed the no-man’s-land area between both camps, shook hands and wished each other a Merry Christmas.

They exchanged gifts of cigarettes, hats, buttons, food and other such items they could muster. They also played games. This impromptu – and unofficial – cease-fire lasted through Christmas Day in some areas and through the new year in others.

And it all started with a Christmas carol.

Today, we hear holiday music at stores, on the radio, during parties and in churches. But what are carols? And why are they such a profound and impactful tradition?

Creating carols

Scholars believe carols can be traced back to pre-Christian Europe. These were “song-dances” associated with pagan religious rituals throughout the region.

“When Christianity took root in those places, those celebrations, dances and music got incorporated into how they celebrated their new Christian faith,” says Robert Dundas, associate professor of vocal studies and director of the FIU Opera Theatre at the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts, within the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts.

Taking up old melodies and rhythms, Christians replaced their previous pagan lyrics for ones celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and the Nativity story.

Christmas carols were born.

Dundas says that as early as the 13^th century, priests—including Saint Francis of Assisi, who is credited with starting the tradition of live Nativity scenes—helped infuse hymns and tunes into Christmas worship, adding songs as part of Nativity plays.

These hymns were essential in spreading the Christmas message and helping people connect with their faith.

“The average person was not educated and could not read the Bible,” Dundas explains. “These mini-dramas helped them learn the Bible and the Nativity.”

Building community

Today, Christmas songs from the classic carols to the modern “All I want for Christmas is You” continue to be favorites. “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, for example, is the best-selling Christmas/holiday single in the U.S. and the best-selling single of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

How do these songs continue to captivate us? And, how did one song help send a message of peace to the soldiers in those trenches?

“Communal singing is something that brings people together,” Dundas says. He still recalls gathering with his friends as a teenager and caroling for neighbors or going downtown to sing in stores – and hoping folks would treat them to hot chocolate and cookies for their performance.

For Dundas, a professional singer, singing Christmas songs also reminds him of some of the highlights of his professional singing career – and his own spiritual life: Singing George Frideric Handel’s Messiah and other Christmas music in cathedrals across Europe and the U.S.

In many religions around the globe, songs have been incorporated as part of worship and ceremonies. The relationship between music and faith is deep for Dundas.

“It really awes and inspires,” he says. “That great music allows you to worship in a personal way, supported by a big chorus and an orchestra. It allows you to feel like you’re leading the worship, actively inviting other people to take part in that. This is a big deal spiritually. You have to prepare yourself to sing as a professional, but also if the Spirit moves, let it move you.”