Once in Royal David’s City was written by Cecil Frances Alexander to help children understand the Apostle’s Creed.
Once In Royal David’s City – Written in 1848 to Help Children Understand the Apostle’s Creed
Holidays
O Little Town of Bethlehem – A Prayer That Christ Will Come Again
O Little Town of Bethlehem was first written for and performed for an ordinary Sunday School class by Phillips Brooks in 1868 following his Christmas Eve visit to Bethlehem in 1866 following the American Civil War.
O Holy Night: A Celebration of the Birth of Christ
When Christians sing O Holy Night they are celebrating that the Birth of Jesus is God’s gift to humanity.
O Come O Come Emmanuel: An 1851 Advent Hymn sung in Anticipation of Christ’s Coming
O Come O Come Emmanuel is an Advent Hymn for Christmas that Christians sing in anticipation of Christ’s Coming.
O Come All Ye Faithful (A Time to Rejoice and be Joyful)
It seems to have been a joint effort to bring us the gorgeous O Come All Ye Faithful as we know it today. The original song, to the tune of “Adeste fideles” (a Latin hymn), has been attributed to John Francis Wade with English translations by Frederick Oakeley. By the 19th century, however, it seems other authors had added four stanzas.