Hark! The stories behind our favorite...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The cookies, the mistletoe, the lights...oh, and the music! For Christians, Christmas carols mark a season of hope and the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Even in popular culture, these iconic jingles capture a warmth, a cheer and a nostalgia that transcends religious belonging.

But where do these beloved yuletide songs come from? What inspired the people who composed them? How did they become popular and even mainstream? And what impact do their ancient Christian messages have on an increasingly post-Christian culture?

America Media presents “Hark!” a podcast on the meaning and the making of our most beloved Christmas carols and their time-honored traditions. 

Music Commentary
Music History
Religion
1
The Wexford Carol
43 min
2
O Holy Night
47 min
3
COMING SOON: Hark! Season 3
2 min
4
Joy to the World
39 min
5
In the Bleak Midwinter
51 min
6
The Huron Carol (‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime)
48 min
7
Good King Wenceslas
40 min
8
Carol of the Bells
28 min
9
Silent Night
39 min
10
Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful)
34 min
11
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
36 min
12
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
31 min
13
The history of Christmas carols
20 min
14
Hark! The stories of our favorite Christmas car...
2 min