Hark! The stories of our favorite Christmas carols
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.
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Discover more about Christmas carols
The Coventry Carol: A mother’s lullaby, born of biblical tragedy
In this episode, host Maggi Van Dorn travels to Coventry, England, to trace how this centuries-old lament survived the Reformation, a devastating library fire and the 1940 bombing of Coventry Cathedral during the Second World War— and how it has served the city’s witness to grief and reconciliation.
‘Angels We Have Heard on High’: What do angels sound like?
“Angels We Have Heard on High” draws us into that holy night. Encounters with the divine rarely stay within the bounds of one language, and this carol embodies that truth.
The First Noel: Why shepherds heard the Good News first
Hark! host Maggi Van Dorn visits a farm near the Welsh border and takes up fiddle lessons again in this episode on “The First Nowell” (original Cornish spelling) to find out why.
O Little Town of Bethlehem: written for children in the aftermath of war, then and now
After the U.S. Civil War, Philadelphia rector Phillips Brooks traveled to Bethlehem seeking solace. Three years later, that experience inspired him to write this carol for the children of his parish. Does it still speak to those who carry the weight of war?
I found the heart of Christmas in the remains of an old English cathedral
The Coventry Cathedral is the birthplace of a Christmas carol featured on the latest season of “Hark!”—America Media’s podcast on the stories behind our favorite Christmas carols.
’Tis the season for Christmas carols! Do you know where your favorite got its start?
If it’s not too early for Pope Francis to start listening to Christmas music, it’s not too early for us!
Did the magi really exist? Investigating the story behind the Christmas carol
Besides its musical beauty and thrilling sense of wonder, the song ‘We Three Kings’ offers a treasure trove of stories to unwrap.
The Irish Christmas tradition that celebrates the unsung work of women
The Irish tradition has long been that on Nollaig na mBan, this final day of the busy Christmas season, women get to put their feet up and enjoy a day of socializing. In some versions of the tradition, men take over the household chores.
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