Best Traditional Christmas Carols

My family and I love singing Christmas carols and it's the traditional carols that are most popular. Older relatives know and love the old favorite carols, children pick them up easily and sing along happily. Newer songs come and go but the old traditional Christmas carols will be with us forever.

This page lists my favorite traditional carols, links to wonderful examples and there's a a link to a handy, free downloadable set of lyrics. You can save the lyrics to your computer and print out any or all of the carols.

I do hope you share my love of these great old Christmas carols and enjoy them this year and for many more Christmases to come.

I've picked a video for each carol. To play it, just click on the "YouTube" link in each section.

There's a Bing Crosby clip in there, and some surprises. I've tried to avoid selecting the ultra slick professional performance or the pop stars who "interpret" the carols. The aim has been throughout to present the best traditional carols in traditional arrangements.

The traditional lyrics for all these carols

Free e-book of the lyrics for all of the carols on this page. It's designed to be printer-friendly, so very few graphics to use all your coloured inks!

The link is direct to the e-book so you can right click and save.

If you only want lyrics for one or two carols, save the e-book and then select appropriate pages before printing.

Click here to download free carols e-book

From 1957, not quite the traditional tune but it's fascinating to hear Elvis on a traditional carol.

Away in a manger

No crib for His bed

The little Lord Jesus

Laid down His sweet head

One of the best simple carols describing the Christmas story and a favorite with children, as anyone with kids performing in schools' Christmas carol concerts will testify.

As with many carols. its origins aren't clear. It has often been attributed to Martin Luther - wrongly, as no mention of it appears in any of his writings. The usual tune is the original which owes much to a waltz by Johann Strauss Jr, though some people sing it to the tune of "Flow Gently Sweet Afton", an old English folk song. . The first two verses appeared in 1885 in an Evangelical Lutheran pamphlet. The third verse was added in 1892.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Tis the season to be jolly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Deck The Halls is a non-religious carol dating back to the nineteenth century, thought to have come from the US. The tune is from a much older Welsh carol, Nos Galan.

Warning: the children will drive you mad for days after learning this carol by constantly breaking out into "Fa la la la lah" when you least expect it.

Even the best traditional Christmas carols will benefit from a bit of musical accompaniment and a guitar is usually found around.

Ding dong merrily on high,

In heav'n the bells are ringing:

Ding dong! verily the sky

Is riv'n with angel singing.

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis

A great, fast-paced carol, perfect for choirs but just as much fun for family gatherings. The tune is a dance tune from the 16th century, the lyrics were written by George Ratcliffe Woodward in the early 20th century. Woodward was interested in bell ringing and that heavily influenced his choice of words and style.

I have mixed memories of this one. As a teenager I was in a carol choir and, though my voice was still breaking, was the nearest thing to a bass we had - so I got stuck croaking a deep bassline while everyone else sang the good parts.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

Remember, Christ, our Saviour

Was born on Christmas day

To save us all from Satan's power

When we were gone astray

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

A rousing song to get everybody singing. This was first published in 1833 by William B. Sandys, though sadly he didn't name the author. One of the curious things about the carol is the first line: if you look closely you'll see the comma is after the "merry". Wise men argue over the meaning - I reckon it means "God keep you happy".

Good King Wenceslas looked out

On the feast of Stephen

When the snow lay round about

Deep and crisp and even

Brightly shone the moon that night

Though the frost was cruel

When a poor man came in sight

Gath'ring winter fuel

Don't let the ones who've had too many egg nogs get carried away on that last line! This is based on the Czech legend of Saint Wenceslaus, Duke of Bohemia (907-935), The actual lyrics were written in 1853 by English hymnwriter John Mason Neale. The tune is based on a much older 13th century spring carol "Tempus adest floridum" ("The time is near for flowering") - that was first published in a Finnish collection in 1582. They certainly cast their nets far and wide, those carol writers!

By the way, sing it quicker as the night wears on and the eggnog flows.

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled"

Joyful, all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With the angelic host proclaim:

"Christ is born in Bethlehem"

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!

One of the great traditional triumphant carols. Much like certain songs get people off their chairs and onto a dancefloor, so this carol gets everybody singing loudly. Oddly though, it began life in 1739 as a slow and solemn carol, words by Charles Wesley (not the most joyful of men). Over the next hundred years various people rewrote the lyrics and finally in 1840, William H. Cummings adapted a newly-composed Mendelssohn cantata to give us the rousing carol we know today.

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day in the morning

A traditional English carol, thought to date from the 17th century. Bethlehem is twenty miles from the nearest water (and that's the Dead Sea) so there's a lot of poetic licence. Some people think the three ships refer to the legend that three ships bore the relics of the three wise men to Cologne Cathedral sometime in the 12th century. Whatever the origin, it's another good song for the kids.

This version is performed by Ritchie Blackmore and Blackmore's Night.

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh

Jingle Bells shouldn't really be here as it was written as a Thanksgiving song! However, it proved so popular from the start that people continued singing it at Christmas.

It was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1850. A plaque commemorating the "birthplace" of "Jingle Bells" adorns the side of a building in Medford, Massachusetts. Pierpont wrote the song at the former Simpson Tavern, now 19 High Street, in the center of Medford Square.

Little donkey, little donkey

On the dusty road

Got to keep on plodding onwards

With your precious load

A slow and sad-sounding carol, about the donkey which carried the heavily-pregnant Mary to Bethlehem. It was written by Newcastle-born Eric Boswell in the 20th century and he later came to be annoyed at its success (though it gave him financial security) as it overshadowed his more favoured works. These include humorous songs in the Geordie dialect, such as I've Got a Little Whippet; Wi' Me Pit Claes On; and The Social Security Waltz. (That middle title translates as "With My Pit Clothes On" - ready to go down the coal mines.)

Come, they told me

pa rum pa pum pum

Our newborn King to see

pa rum pa pum pum

Our finest gifts we bring

pa rum pa pum pum

To lay before the King

pa rum pa pum pum

rum pa pum pum

rum pa pum pum

So to honor Him

pa rum pa pum pum

When we come

A personal confession - I love this carol! I don't know why but for half of December I'll be singing this. People give me funny looks on the train but it gets me more leg room. Children also love it, especially if you encourage them to play their drums, real or pretend.

This is the most modern carol in this collection, written in 1941 by Katherine K. Davis. She said that she based it on a Czech carol but never said which. Drummer Boy came to prominence when recorded by the Trapp Family Singers (yes, the ones who came over the Alps with Maria).

O Come All Ye Faithful

Joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him,

Born the King of Angels;

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord

If you asked 100 people to name a carol the majority would probably say "O Come All Ye Faithful". I learned it as a child in the Latin "Adeste Fidelis" - in the last days of Latin liturgy and Latin masses. That was much more solemn; today's version is quite jolly for a hymn.

It was written in the 18th century by an Englishman, John Francis Wade, though some think that part of the words may date from the 13th century. Over the years there have been various translations and additions - the most commonly sung version now was the work of a Catholic priest, Frederick Oakley.

O come, O come, Emmanuel

To ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

Beautiful tune, though one of the less popular carols nowadays. Sung as Gregorian Chant it is magnificent.

Both words and music have dubious antecedents. About the only things that can reliably be said are that it's based on Isaiah 7:14.and borne out by Matthew 1:23.

O little town of Bethlehem

How still we see thee lie

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting Light

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight

A great carol for choirs and much loved by all who hear it. It's a joyful song of redemption and hope.

Once in royal David's city,

Stood a lowly cattle shed,

Where a mother laid her Baby,

In a manger for His bed:

Mary was that mother mild,

Jesus Christ, her little Child

This was written in the Victorian era by Cecil Frances Alexander. as a children's poem and set to music a year later. MIss Alexander was to marry a clergyman who became a bishop and she also wrote the famous All Things Bright and Beautiful.

Wikipedia notes: "This carol was the first recording that the King's College Choir under Boris Ord made for EMI in 1948. Among others who have recorded it are Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Chieftains, Daniel O'Donnell, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Petula Clark, Jethro Tull and Sufjan Stevens."

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child

Holy Infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

In my younger, more innocent, days I was an altar boy and one day, when I was supposedly clearing up after a service, I was spellbound by the church organist extemporising on the melody of Silent Night. It's stayed as a favourite ever since.

The First Noel, the Angels did say

Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay

In fields where they lay keeping their sheep

On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

Born is the King of Israel

If carols can be said to rock then this one does! Faster paced than many, the whole family can belt First Noel out at the top of their voices. The devil certainly doesn't have all the best tunes.

The holly and the ivy,

When they are both full grown

Of all the trees that are in the wood

The holly bears the crown

O the rising of the sun

And the running of the deer

The playing of the merry organ

Sweet singing of the choir

A lovely, bitter-sweet carol. The first line alone sets the scene, the rest of the words take you deeper into the meaning of Christmas - this despite the use of the pagan symbols of the two plants.

The first version of the carol is mentioned as being around 1710 and there have been various references since, including one going back to the Middle Ages and an English Miracle Play.

On the first day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me

A partridge in a pear tree

If First Noel is a rock carol then I suppose we could call this a drinking song - almost. A great song to belt out - try having a race on the twelfth day with the kids, to see who can sing all twelve gifts the quickest.

We three kings of Orient are

Bearing gifts we travel afar

Field and fountain, moor and mountain

Following yonder star

Anyone who's ever been to a children's Nativity play will know this well. It has been recorded by everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Tori Amos via the Beach Boys.

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;

Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Now bring us some figgy pudding

Now bring us some figgy pudding

Now bring us some figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

We won't go until we get some

We won't go until we get some

We won't go until we get some so bring some out here

Unusual in that it's non-religious, this dates from the 16th century and has been popular in England since its first appearance. Figgy pudding was probably, in those days, figs mashed up with bread. Nowadays it's more like the traditional Christmas pudding but with added figs,

While shepherds watched

Their flocks by night

All seated on the ground

The angel of the Lord came down

And glory shone around

Last in this list, but certainly not least, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night. Sung by generations of schoolboys as "While Shepherds Washed Their Socks By Night".

The exact year this was written isn't known. It's believed to date from the end of the 17th century, written by Nahum Tate - an Irishman who became English Poet Laureate in 1692.

The traditional lyrics for all these carols

Free e-book of the lyrics for all of the carols on this page. It's designed to be printer-friendly, so very few graphics to use all your coloured inks!

The link is direct to the e-book so you can right click and save.

If you only want lyrics for one or two carols, save the e-book and then select appropriate pages before printing.

Click here to download free carols e-book