World's oldest Christmas carol 'Angel's Hymn' dates back to 129 CE

The oldest Christmas carol, which probably no one has ever heard, reportedly dates back to 129 CE. According to reports, the church didn't start celebrating Christmas on December 25 until about two centuries later, in 336 CE. The then-Bishop of Rome Telesphorus proclaimed that “In the Holy Night of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior, all shall solemnly sing the Angel’s Hymn, therefore, it is the oldest Christmas carol. However, no one knows the original tune of the carol.

According to the Bible, in the lyrics, the angels responded to Jesus's birth by saying Glory to God in the highest. The lyrics of the carol has also been featured in the popular Christmas song, Angels We Have Heard on High. A book by Virginia Reynolds Spirit of Christmas: A History of Our Best-Loved Carols she also explains that the British bishop James Chadwick created the still-popular ditty in 1862 by combining the traditional Christmas carol hymn with a loose English translation of an old French carol called Angels in Our Fields. Other early Christmas hymns, like Jesus Refulsit Omnium and Corde Natus ex Parentis are also reportedly considered to be the oldest festive carols.

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Christmas carols

Speaking of Christmas carols, there are some cult favourite songs and carols that are played every year. But little did one know about the origin of the melodious songs. Here are a few fascinating backstories of popular Christmas carols. Silent Night has an interesting history attached to it. On Christmas Eve 1818, St. Nicholas church experienced an ill-fortune as the organ had stopped functioning and there was no possibility it could work again for the liturgy. However, Fr Joseph Mohr did not just give up and sing out a poem he had written many years ago. Another song, Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer was composed by the department store chain Montgomery Ward as an option to save money for their annual Christmas promotions. And this song was a hit. 

One can also not forget Jingle Bells, which was originally named The One Horse Open Sleigh when it was written and composed by James Lord Pierpont an American composer, songwriter in 1857. Jingle Bells was not received well by listeners when it was first composed in 1857 and it took many years to become one of the most popular songs at Christmas time. According to the charts, this song ranks in the top five of the best Christmas songs. 

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