Traditional Christmas carols

During the holidays, people often love to listen to Christmas carols. Many carols have been translated into other languages, creating a bridge between cultures and spreading “joy to the world.”

How well do you know your Christmas carols? Get into the spirit of the festive season by playing this quiz!

And if you’d like to learn about the history of a few carols, read our blog post 5 festive songs and their origins.

1. Which traditional English carol does Charles Dickens make reference to in his famous story A Christmas Carol?

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly

God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In

2. The first line of the 18th-century carol “Joy to the World” ends with the words “.”

The Lord has come

The Lord hath come

The Lord is come

3. The lyrics to “O Christmas Tree” were originally written in .

German

French

Italian

4. The Latin carol “Adeste fideles” is known in English as “.”

O Come, Little Children

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O Come, All Ye Faithful

5. In the carol that begins with a partridge in a pear tree, Christmas lasts for twelve days instead of one. What period does the “The Twelve Days of Christmas” refer to?

December 25 to January 5

December 21 to January 1

December 14 to December 25

6. In the carol “Here We Come A-Wassailing,” the word wassailing means “.”

carolling

dancing

whistling

7. The Canadian carol “‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime” was first written in .

Ojibwe

Wendat

Cree

8. The German carol “Stille Nacht” is known in English as “.”

O Holy Night

Silent Night

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

9. The carol “The First Nowell” was written originally in .

French

Latin

English

10. The lyrics of “The Little Drummer Boy” start with “.”

Come and hold me

Come, they told me

Come, bring gold to me