Winter Traditions: Carols

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Carols

Carol: dance or a song of praise and joy.

 Originally, the term carol described a song meant for dancing, especially to honor the changing of the seasons, not just the winter season, but every season.

Over time, like a great deal of older music, we came to use this music only at this time of year. Carols were generally in the vernacular and were not sung at church. Church 'carols' would have been in Latin. In more recent times, these old carols in both Irish and English have found a place within houses of worship. But, this is in fact a fairly recent development, especially in Ireland, when Vatican II allowed for masses in English and Irish, as opposed to strictly Latin.

Here and there, you can find a 'marcoronic' hymn (e.g. Deus Meus, recorded on Celtic Lamentations), in both Latin and Irish, but it is rare.

Few of the Irish hymns have come down to us. One exception is "Don Oiche iUd i mBeithil, That Night in Bethlehem (recorded on To Warm the Winter's Night).