This list of Christmas carols is organized by language of origin. Originally, a Christmas carol referred to a piece of vocal music in carol form whose lyrics centre on the theme of Christmas or the Christmas season. The difference between a Christmas carol and a popular Christmas song can often be unclear as they are both sung by groups of people going house to house during the Christmas season. Some view Christmas carols to be only religious in nature and consider Christmas songs to be secular.
Many traditional Christmas carols focus on the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus, while others celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas that range from 25 December to 5 January, or Christmastide which ranges from 24 December to 5 January. As a result, many Christmas carols can be related to Saint Stephen's Day (26 December), St John's Day (27 December), Feast of Holy Innocents (28 December), Saint Sylvester's Day (31 December), and the Epiphany. Examples of this are "We Three Kings" (an Epiphany song), and "Good King Wenceslas" (a carol for Saint Stephen's Day). Nonetheless, some other categories of Christmas music, both religious and secular, have become associated with the Christmas season even though the lyrics may not specifically refer to Christmas – for example, "Deck the Halls" (no religious references) and "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" (an Advent chant). Other Christmas music sung by carolers focuses on more secular Christmas themes, and winter carols and novelty Christmas songs often refer to winter scenes, family gatherings, and Santa Claus ("Jingle Bells", "O Christmas Tree", "Home for the Holidays", "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas", "Frosty the Snowman", "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", etc.).
Afrikaans Title Composer / lyricist Year Notes"Somerkersfees"Koos du PlessisTitle translation: "Summer Christmas"
Arabic Title Composer / lyricist Year published Notes"Laylat Al-Milad"Traditional Maronite HymnTitle translation: "Christmas Eve"
Basque TitleComposer / lyricistYear publishedNotes"Birjina maite" ("Lovely virgin")Traditional19th century / early 20th century"Hator hator" ("Come come")Antonio and Juan Kruz De la Fuente18th century"Mari Domingi"Resurreccion Maria Azkue20th centuryCarol about Mari Domingi, a prominent character in Basque Christmas tradition."Mesias sarritan" ("Messiah often")Bartolome Ertzilla1892Also known as "Belengo portalian" ("In the stable at Bethlehem")"Oi Bethleem" ("Oh Bethlehem")Jose Gontzalo ZulaikaEarly 20th century"Olentzero joan zaigu" ("Olentzero has left us")TraditionalCarol about Olentzero, the most important character in Basque Christmas tradition, similar to Santa Claus in other countries.
Catalan Title Composer / lyricist Year published Notes"Fum, Fum, Fum" ("El vint-i-cinc de desembre")Traditional16th centuryThe word "fum" may imitate the sound of a drum (or perhaps the strumming of a guitar). "Fum" means "smoke"(noun) in Catalan."El cant dels ocells" (lit. "Song of the Birds")Traditional; Pablo Casals arranged the song for celloLyrics are printed in 17th centuryalso known as "Carol of Birds""El Noi de la Mare" (lit. "The Son of the Mother")Traditional17th-18th centuryAlso known as "Carol of the Gifts""A Betlem me'n vull anar" (lit. "I want to go to Bethlehem")Traditional"El dimoni escuat" (lit. "the devil with no tail")Traditional"Ara ve Nadal" (lit. "Christmas is coming")Traditional"Les dotze van tocant" (lit. "Ringing twelve o'clock")Traditional"Descanseu ben alegres" (lit. "Rest very happy")Traditional"Pastorets de la muntanya" (lit. "Shepherds from the mountain")Traditional"El desembre congelat" (lit. "Frozen December")Traditional"Sant Josep i la Mare de Déu" (lit. "Saint Joseph and the Mother of God")Traditional"La pastora Caterina" (lit. "Caterina, the shepherd")Traditional"Anem a Betlem" (lit. "We're going to Bethlehem")Traditional"El rabadà" (lit. "The shepherd")TraditionalCaga Tío” TraditionalA song sung when beating Tio de Nadal.
Cebuano Title Composer / lyricist Year published Notes"Kasadya Ning Taknaa" (lit. "How Merry is This Hour")Vicente Rubi / Mariano Vestil1933More popularly known by its loose translation in Tagalog as "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit" (lit. "Christmas Has Come").
Chinese The English titles are taken from the Hymns of Universal Praise and the Chinese New Hymnal.
Title Composer / lyricist Year published Notes聖誕歌 Shèngdàn Gē (The Moon and Stars of Christmas Eve)Bliss Wiant (Chinese name: 范天祥 Fàn Tiānxiáng) / 田景福 (Tián Jǐngfú)1934 / 1933Title from the Hymns of Universal Praise. Also called "一輪明月歌" Yīlún Míngyuè Gē by its first line in the Chinese New Hymnal.明星燦爛歌 Míngxīng Cànlàn Gē (Midnight, Sleeping Bethlehem)梁季芳 (Liáng Jìfāng) / 楊鏡秋 (Yáng Jìngqiū)1934 / 1930聖夜靜歌 Shèngyè Jìng Gē (Crystal Night, Stilly Night)(odd night)史奇珪 (Shǐ Qíguī) / 朱味腴 (Zhū Wèiyú) and 吳敬人 (Wú Jìngrén)1982 / 1921聖誕感恩歌 Shèngdàn Gǎn'ēn Gē (Jesus Our Saviour, Word Incarnate)林聲本 (Lín Shēngběn) / 任大齡 (Rén Dàlíng)1981歡樂佳音歌 Huānlè Jiāyīn Gē (Shout the Glad Tidings)Chinese traditional melody / Anonymous20th centuryThe version in the Chinese New Hymnal is revised from the Chinese Hymnary (頌主聖歌).聖誕敘事 Shèngdàn Xùshì (Idyll of Christmas)段毓貞 (Duàn Yùzhēn)1954拜謁聖嬰 Bàiyè Shèngyīng (Worship the Holy Infant)史奇珪 / 徐曉鴻 (Xú Xiǎohóng)2007 / 2004馬槽耶穌 Mǎcáo Yēsū (Jesus in the Manger)史奇珪1952, revised 2009佳音歌 Jiāyīn Gē (Song of Good Tidings)吳安娜 (Wú Ānnà) / 王賢軍 (Wáng Xiánjūn)1999
Croatian CarolComposer / lyricistYear publishedNotes"U to vrijeme godišta" ("At that time of the year")Traditional12th century"Svim na Zemlji, mir, veselje" ("All on Earth, peace, joy")Franjo Langer/Adam Alojzij Baričević18th century"Radujte se narodi" ("Nations rejoice")Franjo Langer/Adam Alojzij Baričević18th century"Narodi nam se" ("Born unto us")Traditional13th century"Tri kralja jahahu" ("Three kings were riding")Traditional1912.From Istria"Veselje ti navješćujem" ("Joy I preach you")Franjo Langer/Adam Alojzij Baričević18th century"O Betleme" ("Oh, Betlehem")Franjo Langer/Adam Alojzij Baričević18th century"Oj, pastiri" ("Oy, shepherds")Traditional"Djetešce nam se rodilo" ("A child was born unto us")Traditional"Veseli se Majko Božja" ("Rejoice, Mother of God")Vladoje Bersa1906.From Knin
Czech TitleComposer / lyricistYearpublishedNotes "Nesem vám noviny" ("We bring you the tidings!") traditional from Bohemia "Come, All Ye Shepherds" (Mari Ruef Hofer, 1912) German: "Kommet, ihr Hirten" (Carl Riedel, ca. 1870) "Půjdem spolu do Betléma" ("Let's all go to Bethlehem.") traditional from Bohemia "Štědrý večer nastal" ("Christmas Eve has come.") traditional from Bohemia "Pásli ovce valaši" ("The Wallachians were grazing their sheep.") traditional from Moravia "Narodil se Kristus pán" ("Christ the Lord was born") traditional from Bohemia1505 "Den přeslavný jest k nám přišel" ("The glorious day has arrived") traditional from Bohemia "Jak si krásné neviňátko" ("How fair are you, oh youngling") traditional from Bohemia"Zither Carol"Czech folk tune – Sedlák, sedlák1958English lyrics by Malcolm Sargent, set to a traditional tune. "Girls and boys, leave your toys..."
Danish
The list is based primarily on carols and hymns mentioned in the Folkehøjskolens Sangbog (Folk High School Songbook).
Where possible, a carol title is linked to its (Danish) Wikipedia entry, where the carol can be heard. Otherwise, a carol title has been linked to its entry at the Danish Hymn Book Online.
CarolComposer/LyricistYear publishedNotes""Johann Hartmann / N. F. S. Grundtvig1861 / 1837, 1853Advent""J. G. Meidell / N. F. S. Grundtvigca. 1840 / 1853, 1864Epiphany"Dejlig er jorden"Silesian tune / Bernhard Severin Ingemann18th century / 1850"""Den yndigste rose er funden", text and melodyJoseph Klug / Hans Adolph Brorson1542 / 1732"Det første lys er Ordet talt af Gud"Bjarne Haahr / Johannes Johansen1978 / 1974Advent"Det kimer nu til julefest"Carl Christian Nicolaj Balle / N. F. S. Grundtvig1850 / 1817, 1837"En rose så jeg skyde"Cöln / trans. from Michael Praetorius by Thomas Laub1599 / 1609 trans.1920"Es ist ein Ros entsprungen""En sød og liflig klang"Trier, Joseph Klug / German trans., Martin Luther, Hans Thomissøn, N. F. S. Grundtvig1482, 1533 / 14th century, 1529 and 1545, 1569, 1837"Puer natus in Bethlehem"German tune / N. F. S. Grundtvigc. 1600 / 1820Based on a medieval Latin hymn "Puer natus in Bethlehem", publ. in Danish in the hymn books of Hans Tausen (1553) and Hans Thomissøn (1569). A children's favourite."Et lidet barn så lysteligt"Carl Christian Nicolaj Balle / N. F. S. Grundtvig1855 / 1843"Hjerte, løft din glædes vinger"Johann Crüger / Paul Gerhardt, trans. C. J. Brandt1653 / 1653, trans. 1878"I denne søde juletid"Carl Christian Nicolaj Balle / Hans Adolph Brorson1855 / 1732, 1739"Ind under jul"Morten Eskesen / Jonas Lie1876 / 1865"Julebudet til dem, der bygge"Johann Hartmann / Jens Christian Hostrup1890 / 1881,1884"Julen har bragt velsignet bud"Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse / Bernhard Severin Ingemann1841 / 1839"Julen har englelyd"Andreas Peter Berggreen / N. F. S. Grundtvig1852 / 1845, 1851""Henrik Rung / N. F. S. Grundtvig1857 / 1856"Resonet in laudibus"Pre-Reformation tune / N. F. S. Grundtvig and Thomas LaubPre-Reformation / 1837, 1873 and 1890"Mit hjerte altid vanker"Carl Nielsen / Hans Adolph Brorson1919 / 1732"Lille Guds barn, hvad skader dig?"Traditional / N. F. S. Grundtvig/ 1870Advent"Velkommen igen, Guds engle små"Andreas Peter Berggreen alt. Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse / N. F. S. Grundtvig1834 alt. 1836 / 1825, 1850Lyrics written the night before Christmas Day""Andreas Peter Berggreen / N. F. S. Grundtvig from a medieval Danish Advent hymn1852 / 1849, 1852Advent, Epiphany
Dutch Title Composer / lyricist Year published Notes""Traditional melodyProbably 15th centuryFirst found in Begijnhof Manuscript (ca. 1600)"In dulci jubilo"15th centuryFirst found in Utrecht Sint-Agnes Manuscript"Een kind geboren in Bethlehem"Dutch traditional15th centuryOldest find: Deventer Song Manuscript"O, Kindeke klein, o, Kindeke teer"1508First published in Dit is een suverlijc boecxken"Het was een maged uitverkoren"Dutch traditional1508First published in D. Coelde van Munster: "Dit is een suverlijc boecxken""Herders, hij is geboren"Dutch traditional1645First published in "Den blijden wegh tot Bethleem""Hoe leit dit kindeke"Dutch traditionalca. 1650First published in Wilhelm Schepping, Die Wettener Liederhandschrift (Song Manuscript)"Eer zij God in onze/deze dagen" a.k.a. "Engelkens, door het luchtruim zwevend"Attributed to F.A. Schultz, who translated the ancient Latin carol "Gloria in excelsis Deo" into German1857, possible previous publication ca. 1730translation of "Gloria in excelsis Deo" into Dutch by Isaac Bikkers (often confused with "Ere zij God")""Dutch traditional1852First print in J. en L. Alberdingk Thijm, 'Oude en Nieuwere Kerst-Liederen'"Maria die zoude naar Betlehem gaan"Dutch traditional1852First printed in J. Alberdingk Thijm, Oude en Nieuwere Kerst-Liederen"""Glory To God / Ere Zij God", (accessed 16 October 2014)Dutch original (often confused with "Eer zij God in onze/deze dagen")1857First print in Isaac Bikkers, Het nachtegaaltje, rendered into English as "Glory to God""Er is een kindeke geboren op aard"Dutch traditional1879First published in Lootens en Feys, Chants populaires flamands""translation of "Away in a manger""Kling/Luidt, klokje/-s, klingelingeling"Dutch traditional"Komt allen tezamen"From Latin hymn "Adeste Fideles""'t Is geboren het Goddelijk Kind"From French noël"Midden in de winternacht"1943Dutch text: Harry Prenen, melody: old Catalan carol "El desembre congelat"
English Title Composer / lyricist Year Notes"Adam lay ybounden"Set by numerous composers, most notably by Boris Ord and Peter Warlock15th century"A Christmas Carol"words and music: Charles Ives1897"A Great and Mighty Wonder"lyrics: The words of St Germanus were translated by John Mason Neale (1818–1866)