CHRISTMAS CAROLS. The word carol (Ital. carols, and Fr. carole, a round dance— probably from Lat. corolla; Welsh, coroli, to reel, to dance; the name is thence applied to the music or song accompanying such a dance: carillon is probably allied) signifies a song of joy. The practice of singing carols, or, at all events, sacred music, in celebra tion of the nativity of Christ as early as the 2d c., is considered as proved by the cir cumstance that a large sarcophagus belonging to that period has sculptured upon it a representation of a Christian family joining in choral praise for this purpose. A century or two after this, however, the C. C. seem to have sadly degenerated, and become, in fact, so indecent, that the clergy found it necessary to forbid them. tinder the Anglo Saxon kings, merriment and piety were pleasantly combined in English life, a peculiar ity that affected the C. C. of that period not a little; but by the 13th c. the jocosity had unhappily lapsed into what would now be considered profanity. The oldest printed collec tion of English C. C. bears the date of 1521. The majority of these, though written by inen of learning—priests and teachers—exhibit a lamentable ignorance of the character of the two most prominent persons in the carols—Mary and Jesus. In 1525 was kept
the "still Christmas," on account of the illness of king Henry; but with this exception, the sacred season appears to have been regularly celebrated with joyous music and songs during the Tudor period. In 1562, C. C. of a more solemn nature were introduced. the Puritan parliament, Christmas was abolished altogether, and holly and ivy were made seditious badges; and in 1630 the Psalms, arranged as carols, were advertised. After the restoration, the C. C. again exhibited a cheerful, and even a jovial character. Those with which the dawn of Christmas is now announced in England are generally religious, though not universally so. In France, the carols at this season used to be much less sacred than gay. Often, indeed, they were grossly Bacchanalian.
See an interesting paper in the Atheneum for Dec. 20, 1856; also Sandys's Christmas Carols, 8vo, 1833; Sylvester's Christmas Carols and Ballads.