The custom of mailing printed Christmas cards in the 19th century was a product of the industrial revolution. It was influenced by older British holiday traditions − some entirely fictional.
Articles on Christmas carols
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Timbre is the colour of sound, and at this time of year, it is part of the colour of Christmas.
An expert on Ukrainian music and folklore explains how holiday traditions celebrate both centuries of culture and present-day resistance.
Songs of the season – sacred and secular music alike – sometimes acknowledge that Christmas isn’t all joy.
‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ is now a treasured Christmas classic, but it didn’t start life that way – not in the UK, at least.
When you sing together, what you really get for Christmas isn’t just more socks or the latest techno gadget – it’s the real gift of joyful human connection.
Evergreens have long served as symbols of life during the bleakness of winter. But Queen Victoria spurred the tradition that has become a global phenomenon.
As you make your yuletide preparations, ever wonder where some of the season’s strange words come from? Well, our linguistic experts have the answers.
Fictional accounts of white Southerners make it seem like it was fun to be a slave on a plantation at holiday time. Many of today’s tours repeat such stories.
Farming and habitat destruction have caused the species to disappear from large areas of Europe.
Two centuries on, this beautiful prayer for peace still brings people together around the world.
Over 200 years ago, an Austrian priest teamed up with a schoolteacher to perform the first rendition of ‘Silent Night.’ Little did they know that it would one day be sung in over 300 languages.
The tradition of carol singing at Christmas appears to be going through a revival and it’s bringing communities together.
If you find yourself humming White Christmas this year don’t worry … you’re not alone – and the science of earworms suggests why.
Most children are not likely to believe that fish live on the moon. What makes children accept some stories and be skeptical about others?
Good Christian Men, Rejoice dates from the 14th century; O Come, All Ye Faithful may contain covert Jacobite symbolism and Silent Night is now UNESCO recognised.
Under David Willcocks, the Nine Lessons and Carols became world famous.
The carol ‘Silent Night’ has been translated into 140 languages and renditions have been sung by everyone, from Bing Crosby to Chewbacca. This is the story behind its success.
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Professor of Music, The Open University
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Lecturer of Ethnomusicology and Music Management, University of Sheffield
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Professor Emeritus of Music, Griffith University
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Professor and Department of Psychology Chair, The University of Texas at Austin
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Principal Fellow and Professor of Music, The University of Melbourne
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Professor of History, Texas A&M University
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Professor of English, Texas A&M University
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Professor of Musicology and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development, College of Music, Florida State University
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Professor of Linguistics, Monash University
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Ph.D. Candidate in Folklore, Indiana University
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Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Monash University
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Professor of Religious Studies, Michigan State University
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Academic in the School of Education and Creative Arts, University of Southern Queensland
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PhD Candidate in Conservation and Ecology, Cardiff University
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Professor Emeritus of History, Purdue University