Would it be Christmas without the Carols? See an image of people clutching lanterns with long capes and cold faces, and you’ll know it’s Christmas, but why?
Even before Christianity midwinter songs as well as dances and feasts were used to raise people’s spirits in the cold dark months. Carols were sung at every season; harvest carols and spring carols were commonplace. Christmas carols, however, were the ones that survived, and the others soon faded away.
Carol singing at different houses goes back to medieval times when there were designated carol singers called waits. They were often led by important people in the community, who had the authority to take away money from ordinary people. The name Waits was given to them as they only performed on Christmas eve known as ‘waitnight’.
The oldest surviving carol is disputed but is generally believed to be either While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night, its tune originating from the 16th century and it words from the 17th-century. Whereas O Come All Ye Faithful’s tune and words were put together by the end of 18th century.’
Today carollers are usually found performing in shopping centres to create a Christmas atmosphere, in care homes and hospitals to lift spirits, as they have done for centuries, and in churches where they point to the real message of Christmas – love, peace and hope.
