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By Jadynna
12/15/2011 - 12:58:35

Type: Captain
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Tags: "xmas2011", carol, female, jadynna, singing, soupfamily, sporenaissance, traditions

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Dedicated to the Soup Family: To you soup family for your beautiful original creations!!!

A Christmas carol, also called a noël, is a carol (song or hymn) whose lyrics are commonly based on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are by tradition sung in the period of time prior to Christmas. The first hymns that we know of appear in fourth century Rome were sung in Latin. In the thirteenth century, in France, Germany, and particularly, Italy, under the influence of Francis of Assisi, a strong tradition of carols in the native language developed. Carols first appear in English in a 1426 when a Shropshire chaplain, who listed twenty five "caroles of Cristemas", probably sung by groups of 'wassailers', who went from house to house. The songs we know specifically as carols were originally communal songs sung during celebrations like harvest tide as well as Christmas. It was only later that carols began to be sung in church, and to be specifically associated with Christmas. Traditionally, carols have often been based on medieval chord patterns. It is this that gives them their distinctive musical sound and are among the oldest musical compositions still regularly sung. Carols gained in popularity after the Reformation which was the result of the fact that the Lutheran reformation welcomed music.
Nineteenth century antiquarians rediscovered early carols in museums. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, about 500 have been found. There is a tradition of Christmas caroling (earlier known as wassailing, in which groups of singers travel from house to house, singing carols, for which they are often rewarded with gifts, money, mince pies, or a glass of an appropriate beverage. Money collected in this way is now normally given to charity.
Many carols are regional, being popular in specific regions but unknown in others, whereas some are popular throughout. In older times, carolling children asked for and were given gifts such as dried fruit, eggs, nuts or sweets; during the 20th century this was gradually replaced with money gifts ? ranging from small change in the case of strangers to considerable amounts in the case of close relatives.