When Christians sing O Holy Night they are celebrating that the Birth of Jesus is God’s gift to humanity.
O Holy Night: A Celebration of the Birth of Christ
Music
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.
Mary Did You Know? An All-Time Favorite Christmas Carol
Mary Did You Know? was first recorded by Christian artist Michael English on his debut album in 1991.
Little Drummer Boy – A Popular Christmas Hymn Also Known as Carol of the Drum
“Little Drummer Boy” is a popular Christmas hymn by Katherine K. Davis, that also goes by the title of “Carol of the Drum.”
The King Shall Come – A Powerful Advent Hymn of Hope from 1907
The King Shall Come is a powerful Advent hymn of hope for the second coming of Jesus.
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree – a Gorgeous Christmas Hymn Set to Music by Elizabeth Poston
Based on an 18th century poem, Jesus Christ the Apple Tree has been put to music by several composers including Elizabeth Poston and John Rutter.
I Wonder as I Wander – a Traditional Appalachian Carol
I Wonder as I Wander is a traditional Appalachian carol written by John Jacob Niles in 1933, based on hearing a “dirty and ragged” girl, Annie Morgan, sing “a single line of a song”. On the 2nd Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of BETHLEHEM. The candle represents peace and the journey to Bethlehem […]
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day: A Joyful Hymn Born of Anguish
Acclaimed poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is the acknowledged author of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”. On the 2nd Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of BETHLEHEM. The candle represents peace and the journey to Bethlehem and preparations to accept and receive Christ. Do you want peace this Christmas? Christ is the PRINCE […]
Gesu Bambino (1917): A Beautiful Italian Christmas Hymn for Advent
Gesu Bambino is a beautiful Christmas hymn penned by Pietro Yon in 1917. It was translated by Frederick H. Martens for “When Blossoms Flowered ‘mid the Snows”.