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Back in the olden times, there were no Christmas carols during Christmas time. Instead they were actually secular dances which were done at any time of the year. It was only in the 16th century were Christmas hymns were known and later on known as Christmas carols.
Wherever we go, people in the entire globe are so immersed into listening Christmas carols that we sometimes failed to question ourselves “Why?” One probable answer was taken from the story of the birth of Christ, where shepherds met the angels who sang announcing good tidings of Jesus Christ's birth.
During the 13th century, carols were considered common songs, which later became linked to church and Christmas. They are usually performed by a choral group. One of the most famous songs were the Middle English carols entitled “Angels” and “Personent Ho Die”. Yet, these songs lost its fame after the period of Reformation. It was however revived by Arthur Sullivan and made the Christmas song “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” popular.
In England, Poland and Bulgaria they carry out the custom of “wassailing”, where a chorale hops from house to house and gets rewarded with money, pies, or a drink. The money raised during this activity is usually given to charitable trust.
In Australia, Christmas carols by candlelight astound the city in the evening. Christmas songs were sung by opera singers in Melbourne and are fairly popular with it.
Nowadays, Christmas carols are fast becoming secular. They are no longer exclusively sung by Bishops and clergy, but also by popular singers and bands. As defined, carols mean a “pleasant religious song commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. However, they are presently played with the use of several musical instruments. People all over the globe can't stop themselves from appreciating the compositions and the contemporary musical arrangements of various bands. It is becoming even more famous when they are frequently used in online greeting cards.
The song entitled “A Christmas Carol” expressing the real meaning of Christmas was popularized by Dickens and can never go forgotten. A Christian model, Scrooge, is a perfect example showing what Christmas really is.
In the new age scenario however, it seem unusual to note that Christmas carols are still widely famous. This is mainly because though the nature of the songs depicts religiosity, its lyrics on the other hand were fashioned into excellent arrangement making Christmas songs more universal and contemporary in nature.
Christmas carols are part of our tradition nowadays. The songs and lyrics are mostly a reminder to us that we are God's blessed children. However, we should not be entirely focused on what the tunes and the songs it makes us feel, but we must also understand the real meaning why the whole world celebrates Christmas.
Good examples of this are the carols sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks. They have quite a selection of funny Christmas carols and lyrics that would appeal to both young and old alike. More specifically, these songs are:
1. The Chipmunk Song.
This song has a subtitle of "Christmas Don't Be Late". The famous group, Alvin and the Chipmunks sung this song together with their human confidant, David Seville. It was Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. who wrote this piece. Consequently though, he is the same person as David Seville. This is quite a short Christmas song, composed of only two paragraphs. But it did hit the charts and became number one during its release in 1958.
2. All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.
Donald Yetter Gardner wrote this song in 1944. He was then a music teacher in Smithtown in New York. The song was written in about 30 minutes at most but it did become a certified hit. Gardner had described this particular song to be a rather silly one. But then again it was picked up by carolers of all ages. Aside from Alvin and the Chipmunks, Nat King Cole, The Platters, and Mariah Carey have all recorded this song.
3. Here Comes Santa Claus.
Gene Autry wrote the song and placed the necessary melody for it. This is a long song, which is composed of four paragraphs in all. The refrain that goes "Here comes Santa Claus, Here comes Santa Claus, Right down Santa Claus lane" is repeated after every stanza.
4. Up On The House Top.
This song is yet another song that Alvin and the Chipmunks made their own. This piece is part of Chipmunk's Greatest Christmas Hits. The album is released in 1998 and had soon become a season's favorite, especially by the younger generations.
5. It's Beginning to look a lot Like Christmas.
This is an example of a song sung by Alvin, Theodore, and Simon that includes their comrade Dave. Like "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth", this piece was also sung by singing greats like Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, and The Fontaine Sisters.
6. Hang Up Your Stockin'.
This is one more funny Christmas song favorite. The song is a part of the Christmas with the Chipmunks Volume 2 CD under Capitol Records. The CD was originally released in 1963 and was reissued in 1991.
7. Twelve Days of Christmas.
Alvin and the Chipmunks have their own version of the famous "12 Days of Christmas" Christmas Carol. You would be amazed, and would actually smile at the twists in the Chipmunk's rendition of this particular song.
8. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas.
Kids of all ages surely knew this one. It is a simple song of a child asking for a gift from Santa Claus, who is fondly referred to as Jolly Old Saint Nicholas.
These are the most popular funny Christmas songs and lyrics as rendered by the equally famous Alvin and the Chipmunks. So the next time you are looking for these kinds of songs, you now know which artist to select.