This is a growing anthology of Christmas carols and poems gathered from historical books, manuscripts, and archives — with an emphasis on older and less frequently reprinted material. The collection currently holds 744 texts: 505 carols and 239 poems, spanning from 63 to 2008, by 242 named authors (and many anonymous hands).
Most texts have been transcribed from public-domain editions held at the Internet Archive. Where possible, a direct link to the source volume is provided at the bottom of each carol's page. A small number of texts come from other digital collections and library catalogues.
Spelling and punctuation follow the source edition, including older forms. Some texts use Middle English (enm) or other languages and are presented in their original tongue.
The word carol is used loosely here. In older usage it referred to a song with a burden (refrain), danced as well as sung, without necessarily any religious content. Over the centuries it came to mean almost any festive or devotional song associated with Christmas. This collection includes both the strict historical sense and the broader popular one, alongside verse that is plainly a poem rather than a song.
This collection is a project of the Digital Bible Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to making Christian resources available around the world.
If you know of a carol or poem that ought to be here, please get in touch. Suggestions are especially welcome for lesser-known authors and pre-Victorian texts.