The History of Christmas Carols and Hymns (website)

With the Christmas season here again, the airwaves are inundated with all manner of Christmas music. This article explores the origins behind some of the most famous religious Christmas carols. People like Saint Ambrose wrote some of the earliest hymns for the Divine Office. Of the more famous carols, “Silent Night” was a poem by a priest in Austria, who set it to a guitar melody one night when the church organ broke. Discuss the origins of these carols with your young adults, and talk about what part music plays in their Christmas season.