My daughter-in-law is one of those people who loves all the Christmas music. She plays it in her home and in the car constantly because she gets great joy from listening to it. However, by this time in the season, I grouse, “Please, stop with the sleigh bell ringing noise pollution already.”

From the pre dawn of Christmas shopping season snapping at the heels of Halloween, holiday music is everywhere in the air, in mall shops and on radio stations. It is inescapable, like invisible telemarketers. Frosty, Rudolph and Alvin and the Chipmunks have equal air time with Angels, Bethlehem and Jesus. It is an unruly choir of the sublime and the ridiculous. Lest I come across as a total carol curmudgeon, I do like some of the Christmas carols/music some of the time but the operative word there is some. However, the ceaseless season for “Fa La La La La”-ing loses its charm after the umpteenth rendition of “Feliz Navidad “or the truly horrible “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime” with its mind invading chorus. John, George and Paul, what were you thinking back in the 80’s?

Now in case my “bah, humbug” attitude is off -putting to those holiday music lovers who wake up singing “Winter Wonderland” with their first cup of coffee, my friend Google and I did a little research. I’ve discovered some fun random (i.e., arcane and esoteric) facts about Christmas carols which may help us endure the next week gracefully and even appreciate the long history of Christmas caroling.

For example, did you know… ?

…. that the word “carol” comes from Latin carula, a circle dance. A carol is literally a dance or song of joy and praise. Think “Joy to the World” and “Hark, the Herald Angels” singing Glo-o-o-o-o-o-ria! In excelsis Deo!
… that the first carol of record was from the 4th century. In Latin, of course.
… that the French word Noël (as in “The First Noel”) means Christmas. Ah, that’s what the angels were saying to certain poor shepherds.
…that originally carols were not sung in church but were community sing-a-longs for religious celebrations, not just Christmas. Well, In a medieval manner of speaking. They were not incorporated into church services until the second half of the 19th century when Christmas song books became popular.
… that Francis of Assisi, saint and friend of animals, made traditional Latin songs more popular in native languages, like French, Italian and German.
… that Martin Luther wrote the words to a Reformation carol in 1534 which used a secular melody for the first time. Vom Himmel hoch, da komm Ich her. (From heaven above to earth I come.) I remember my family singing this at Christmas but never heard it in church. Too “Lutheran”, perhaps?
… that the third most popular single song of all time is Bing Crosby’s version of “Silent Night. “ Number One is “White Christmas” also by Crosby. And Number Two? Elton John’s “Candle In the Wind” which is not a carol at all.
…that one of my favorite carols “O Holy Night” was written in 1847 in French as Cantique de Noel by a M. Cappeau who then asked a Jewish friend Adolphe Charles Adam to set it to music. France prohibited the song because Cappeau abandoned the church for socialism and because the music was written by a Jew. Nevertheless, the carol survived in France, made its way to America and the abolition movement. It lives on in history and still fills me with awe, falling on my knees to worship and remember Christ’s birth 2,000 years ago one holy night.
… that in 1818, in a small town in Oberndorf, Austria, a young priest named Joseph Mohr had written lyrics for a Christmas service. Needing a melody for the words, he asked the church organist Franz Gruber to compose a melody and Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Silent Night) was born. It is the singular carol which symbolizes for me the beauty, mystery, stillness and peace which is truly the Christmas Incarnation. Christ, der Retter is da. I can’t help but sing the words in German, the way I learned them long ago. Christ, the Savior is born. Christ, the Savior is born.