What's Your Favorite Christmas Carol?
by Matt Kaufman on 12/28/2009 at 2:02 PM
I have a hard time picking out my favorite Christmas carol: There are so many candidates. But one of them keeps coming back to me, and singing it the other day, I was reminded why.
It's "What Child Is This." Specifically, the lines:
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you,
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The babe, the son of Mary!
What grabs me about this is the perspective. After all the verses about the infant Lord, similar to those of so many other Christmas hymns, we flash forward for a moment to His adulthood on Good Friday. Then, with that moment vividly in mind, we come right back to the marvel of the incarnation and the baby before us. It no longer feels quite so warm and sweet. But it feels much more significant as we get the big picture. I always hope the people who are in church only on Christmas are paying attention.
There's no one best Christmas carol, of course, any more than there's one best verse of Scripture. But if you had to pick one that has special meaning for you, which would it be? And (this is an essay question, not just fill-in-the-blank) why?
1. Lauren P. said the following at 2:51 PM on Dec 28:
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My favorite carol is "O Holy Night" because of its strong Biblical nature and the way it displays the glory of Jesus and all that His Gospel proclaims. The words, "His law is love and His gospel is peace" always remind me of His love for HIs people. The words, "Fall on your knees" always cause me to remember what He did in my life and who He is. The whole song evokes wonder and awe in me every time I hear it. That is why is is my favorite Christmas carol.
2. DannieA said the following at 3:16 PM on Dec 28:
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O Holy Night...
My cousin sings opera, and whenever he sings this particular carol, tears come to my eyes because it just makes it majestic....
3. Michael Fumento said the following at 3:20 PM on Dec 28:
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I don't suppose "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" would be a general favorite :)
I think this is Germany's favorite and perhaps mine, hereby translated more literally than typical translations:
Softly falls the snow
The lake lies calm and peacefully
Christmasness glazes the forest
Be happy, Christ comes soon
In our hearts we feel warm
Free from worries and harm
Cares of life fade far away
Come soon dear Christ-Child, we pray!
Soon his journey he'll take
Choir of angels awake
Hear how sublime it does ring
The Christ Child's birth we will sing.
The Christ Child's birth we will sing.
Here's a nice video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MajsSgDCBo
4. angelina Tablanza said the following at 3:22 PM on Dec 28:
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O Come, O Come Emmanuel! Definitely!
5. Blair said the following at 3:55 PM on Dec 28:
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I too love "O Holy Night". A woman sang it at for our churches Christams Eve service, I almost cried. I also love "O Come O Come Emmanuel". I wish we sang it other times of the year too.
6. Leigh said the following at 4:06 PM on Dec 28:
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I am a Christmas Carol junkie. I love 99% of them all. O' Holy Night is my favorite.
"Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease."
7. Nicole said the following at 6:07 PM on Dec 28:
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So does anyone else see the difference between a Christmas "song" and a Christmas "carol"?
Favorite carol probably is o come emmanuel abd o holy night. Favorite christmas song is with out a doubt, hands down a song by Sufjan Stevens called Christmas in the Room. I always tear up a little when I hear it.
8. Sasha said the following at 6:25 PM on Dec 28:
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I've noticed that often this part of "What Child Is This?" is left out in favor of a "chorus" repetition of the first verse's ending. I guess it makes some people uncomfortable...too bad. After all, the Cross and the Resurrection were the purpose behind the Incarnation.
I LOVE the lyrics to "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", all the verses. "Veiled in flesh the Godhead see - hail the incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel." So cool. My siblings and I all like to sing, and we enjoy caroling around town during the Christmas season. It's definitely the only time of year that you can preach the gospel on the street corners, even in our liberal-leaning part of the country, and elicit smiles from passers-by!
9. kaj said the following at 6:29 PM on Dec 28:
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"Child in the Manger," on Michael W. Smith's Christmastime album, the one that follows after one of his kids sings "Away In a Manger."
10. anonymous said the following at 6:48 PM on Dec 28:
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My favorite carol is "I heard the Bells on Christmas Day." My older sister and her best friend sang this hymn in church together one Christmas morning when I was about five or six years old. I've never forgotten it. Their voices were so beautiful together.
In later years, I had to put up with protracted singleness for oh, about sixteen years or so. I hated it. There were many times when I felt that God had forgotten me, and didn't care. Now I know I was so wrong. I can look back, now that I have my husband and our family, and really feel great emotion at the verse:
Then pealed the bells so loud and deep
God is not Dead nor doth he sleep
The wrong shall fail
The right prevail
With peace on earth, Goodwill to men
It doesn't really matter in the end, how many faulty church teachings on singleness there are, or how many unmotivated young men (or women for that matter) there are, right will always prevail. I know that now.
11. Ashley S. said the following at 6:51 PM on Dec 28:
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I have so many favorites that picking just one is a rather daunting task. One of the ones near the top is "We Three Kings". I love how each of the verses brings out a different aspect of Christ through the imagery of the gifts: gold (royalty), frankincense (deity), and myrrh (death).
"Glorious now behold him arise
King and God and sacrifice
Alleluia, alleluia
Earth to heaven replies"
And this isn't what you would call a Christmas carol, but it is still an all-time favorite. Downhere's "How Many Kings" is in my opinion the most beautiful Christmas song written in years. Here's the chorus:
"How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many gods have poured out their hearts?
To romance a world that is torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me."
Check them out singing it here: Youtube
12. Sarah said the following at 8:13 PM on Dec 28:
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I love "O Holy Night" and I totally agree about the "fall on your knees" part.
On the other hand, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is the most terrifying carol, ever. Try singing it in a scary voice and you'll see what I mean.
13. Sasha said the following at 10:53 PM on Dec 28:
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Sarah (#12) - are you talking about the one that goes "He sees you when you're sleeping"? Ugh! I call it the "Stalker Santa" song....it's CREEPY!
14. Jan said the following at 10:54 PM on Dec 28:
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For anonymous, #10: That is my favorite Christmas song too! Thank you for your testimony. I am still in my season of singleness, and I am weary. I appreciate your encouragement.
15. Jawan said the following at 11:11 PM on Dec 28:
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My favorite is "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" because the tune is absolutely beautiful and the lyrics are centered around Christ's birth and death.
16. Jo said the following at 2:02 AM on Dec 29:
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I like 'What Child Is This' as well. I think a lot of other carols romanticise the scene a bit (I doubt it was a silent night...) but I like them anyway. I'm not sure what my favourite is, but 'What Child Is This' probably comes near the top.
My favourite Christmas song is 'Mary Did You Know'. There are a lot of bad versions of it but the song itself is absolutely beautiful and the words are amazing.
Ashley S: "Downhere's "How Many Kings" is in my opinion the most beautiful Christmas song written in years."
Hey I heard this song sung by a choir at a local church's carol service and it was lovely, I didn't know it was by Downhere. Thanks. :)
17. MrsLarijani said the following at 6:54 AM on Dec 29:
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"Of The Father's Love Begotten"
18. Olivia said the following at 7:37 AM on Dec 29:
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I'm in absolute agreement with "Oh Holy Night". There is such a reverence to the Lord, to that special night when (as I imagine it) God spoke to His Son in Mary's womb and told Him it was time to be born, how the angels must have been in awe as Elohim, God Almighty, became Emmanuel, God with us. The song evokes such gratitude that the Savior came and was born so that He would be our sacrificial lamb, taking our place, suffering God's wrath and restoring our relationship to Him.
I also recently heard "Breath of Heaven", which made me cry. It was an absolutely beautiful song about Mary's dependence on God in the face of an uncertain future.
19. Carolyn said the following at 9:04 AM on Dec 29:
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O Come O Come Emmanuel, because of the years of waiting, the years of patience and failure and exile and suffering and faith and longing for the God with us. Because of the way it clings to hope. Because of the reminder that that hope is rewarded. Because of the reminder of what Messiah meant/means. Because it strikes a chord; I want that too. God with us. Because of the years that we wait for his return.
and. because it's in a minor key. I find it plaintive, haunting, and beautiful :)
20. Sara said the following at 9:19 AM on Dec 29:
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I love "O Come of Come Emmanuel" amd "O Come O Ye Faithful".
And if you want to talk creepy Christmas songs, what about "Baby It's Cold Outside". He won't let her leave! It's creepy.
21. mary kate said the following at 9:33 AM on Dec 29:
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great list, everyone!!! my church did a christmas show which featured re-interpreteations of many carols, and they were all beautiful. my favorite was a reinvention of 'we 3 kings.' it makes the song about how these 3 kings are a represenatation of humanity seeking for something more meaningful than religion: a love that sets free. it is GORGEOUS.
for 'we 3 kings', click below and skip to the 1:33 mark. (also you can download a better/clearer version of the song on crossroads.net)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjl76f6w-uE&feature=PlayList&p=781F1B5EAF7ABB78&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3
22. Louise from Chicago said the following at 9:39 AM on Dec 29:
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"Silent Night" is my favorite religious Christmas carol....I really enojy the peaceful soothing lyrics.
23. Tami said the following at 10:45 AM on Dec 29:
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Sara (20) -- "Baby, It's Cold Outside" has always bugged me too!
24. Carol said the following at 12:11 PM on Dec 29:
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I like "Go Tell It On the Mountain." I like the words:"Once I was a seeker/I sought Him both night and day/Asked the Lord to help me/He showed me the way." It makes the Christmas story more personal to me.
25. Eno said the following at 1:32 PM on Dec 29:
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"Hark the Herald Angels Sing"; The last verse (Prince of Peace, Sun of Righteousness, ris'n with healing in His wings)is my favourite.
And "We Three Kings" - I think the last four verses are beautiful...
26. Tamara (from Canada) said the following at 2:45 PM on Dec 29:
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My favorite Christmas carol is "O Come, O Come Emmanuel". I just really like the hope of crying for Emmanuel to come set against the backdrop of what was not the most joyful or hopeful of times for Israel.
I would also have to say that for songs that have come out recently, Downhere's "How Many King's?" would be my favorite.
27. Glenna said the following at 12:48 PM on Jan 6:
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My favorite all time is "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" Every verse is wonderful, the words are so meaningful, and it takes you through an entire range of emotion. Excellent song.
28. Tami said the following at 1:32 PM on Jan 6:
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Glenna (27) I never heard that song until this year, and I agree -- it's very powerful. I found it very meaningful; it hit me very personally.