What is the oldest Christmas song?

kaung30

Santa Claus is coming to town and Winter Wonderland Nov 14 06, 6:41 AM

Gnomon

We regularly sing "Angelus Ad Virginem" in our choir at Christmas, and it is mediaeval, probably from the 14th Century. Nov 14 06, 6:55 AM

Baloo55th

Susanni, an English carol, occurs in a manuscript dating from 1393 (14th C). The original tune is lost, and it's most oftenly performed to the tune of Vom Himmel Hoch (1588). It's also performed now to a setting by Kenneth Hesketh (which I hate) and a setting by Baloo.... But the beautiful Veni Veni Emmanuel is dated 12th C http://www.gmu.edu/departments/fld/CLASSICS/hymni.latini.html Possibly surprisingly, Adeste Fideles and the Coventry Carol are very much later in their earliest written/printed forms. Nov 14 06, 7:35 AM

lanfranco

"Veni Veni Emmanuel" might be even older than that, Baloo, though I suppose that, strictly speaking, it's an Advent song. "The First Noel" could date back to the 13th century in some form, but my favorite is "The Coventry Carol," of the 15th or 16th century: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Carol Nov 14 06, 10:54 AM

zbeckabee

Christian scriptures detail a world of spirits and nine choirs of Angels who were sent by God into the lives of humankind. Legend tells that in Bethlehem, people heard the Angels sing one time in unison to announce the birth of the Christ Child. The words thought to ring out at that moment were: Gloria in exelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Therefore, this is considered to be the first Christmas carol. http://www.novareinna.com/festive/xmascarols.html Nov 14 06, 8:33 PM

torshaw

zbeckabee check your bible. The angels "said", not "sang". The other answers may be correct, however, the oldest Christmas carol that we sing regularly at Christmas time is "Joy To The World"...at least the words, which were written in 1719. The music (by Handel) came in 1792. "Adeste Fidelis" is from circa 1743. The first song to have the words Santa Claus was "Up On The Rooftop" from 1860. Dec 19 06, 8:02 PM