DECK THE HALLS
The tune for “Deck the Halls”, which is a secular Christmas carol,  is an old Welsh tune that was used by Mozart in the 18th Century for a violin and piano duet.  It first appeared as a Christmas carol in The Franklin Square Song Collection, edited by J.P.McCaskey in 1881.   The words used today for “Deck the Halls” are thought to have originated in 19th Century America.

God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
The exact origin of “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen” is unknown even though it appears to have been sung for centuries before in was first referenced in Ancient Mysteries Described, published by William Hone in 1823.  The words and tune were first published in 1833 in  Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern, a collection of seasonal carols gathered by William B. Sandys.  This carol was referenced in Charles Dicken’s book A Christmas Carol.

Away In a Manger
“Away in a Manger”, a religious carol, first appeared in a Lutheran Sunday school song book in 1885.  Some histories ascribe the words to Martin Luther since James R. Murray published it as “Luther’s Cradle Hymn,” in 1887.  However, this is probably incorrect and the author remains unknown.  There are two different tunes commonly used for “Away in a Manger”:  (i)  the Scottish folksong “Flow Gently Sweet Afton” most commonly used in England;  and (ii) “Mueller” which is more commonly used in the United States.  The author of the first two verses is unknown, but the third verse was written by Dr. John McFarland in 1904.
The First Noel
Like a number of old English Christmas carols, “The First Noel” (sometimes in English referred to as “The First Nowell”) was first published in 1833 in  William B. Sandys’ collection of Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern.. “The First Noel” probably originated in the 16th Century.  There is some dispute among historians as to whether the carol had French origins (as “noel” might imply) or is simply an English carol.

O Come All Ye Faithful
The original name (“Adeste Fidelis”) and text for “O Come All Ye Faithful” was written by John Francis Wade, an English hymnist, around 1743.  This carol, which was originally written as a hymn, was translated into English by Frederick Oakeley and William Thomas Brooke and published in 1852 in Murray’s Hymnal. It is not clear who wrote the tune for “O Come All Ye Faithful”.  Some attribute the tune to John Redding, an Englishman, or to Saint Bonaventure.

We Three Kings Of Orient Are
“We Three Kings of Orient Are” is a religious Christmas carol written by Revrend John H. Hopkins, Jr. in 1857.  Hopkins wrote both the words and the music for a Christmas pageant held at the General Theological Seminary in New York City.  When Hopkins wrote the carol, he was a pastor at Christ Episcopal Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.  This carol first appeared in print in 1863 in a short book written by Hopkins entitled Carols, Hymns and Songs.
Once In Royal David’s City
The words to “Once In Royal David’s City”, a religious Christmas carol, were written as a poem by Mrs. C.F. Alexander and published in 1848 in Miss Cecil Humphreys’ hymnbook Hymns for little Children. The following year,  H.J. Gauntlett wrote th music for this carol.
Hark the Herald Angels Sings
Charles Wesley, the brother of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, wrote “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” in 1739.   The tune was composed by Felxi Mendelssohn in 1840 to commemorate Gutenberg’s printing press.

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
The words to “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” were written in 1849 as a poem by Dr. Edmund Sears, a Unitarian minister.  In 1850, Richard Storrs Willis, an editor and critic for the New York Tribune and a composer, wrote the music called simply “Carol”.  The words of the poem were adopted to fit this melody.