Carol

Carol, cheerful song sung at Christmas, but once also performed (as a dance song) at other festive seasons. Some carols have pagan origins, and some of the older carols such as “The Holly and the Ivy” (c.1710) have a folklore element. Certain 19th-century Christmas hymns now rank as carols. Among the oldest is the “Boar's Head Carol,” in the collection printed by Wynkyn de Worde (1521). The German Weihnachtslieder (Christmas Eve Songs) and French Noëls have also provided carols.