Carols颂歌这个词起源于中世纪，被用于舞蹈歌曲或圆圈舞的伴唱。It is not clear whether the word carol derives from the French "carole" or the Latin "carula" meaning a circular dance. In any case the dancing seems to have been abandoned quite early. 四世纪的罗马时代，第一首carol诞生了。但直到13世纪，法国，德国和意大利才有了一定规模的用本地语言唱的圣诞歌曲。用英语演唱的圣诞歌曲是在1426年开始的。Wikipedia有一段文字说明了这个事实，Christmas carols in English first appear in a 1426 work of John Awdlay, a Shropshire chaplain, who lists twenty five "caroles of Cristemas", probably sung by groups of ’wassailers’, who went from house to house. The songs we know specifically as carols were originally communal songs sung during celebrations like harvest tide as well as Christmas. It was only later that carols begun to be sung in church, and to be specifically associated with Christmas. 所以圣诞歌曲在早期是在圣诞及其他的丰收节日以及圣诞节临近的其他节日唱的。大约1350至1550年是英国颂歌的黄金时代。到了14世纪，颂歌成为了一种流行的宗教歌曲的形式，主题往往围绕着基督或者圣母玛利亚。15世纪的颂歌广为普及，到了16世纪，颂歌的发展又步履蹒跚，而18世纪中叶的文艺复兴，又使颂歌获得了新生而且使其发展达到了一个新的高峰。Today carols are regularly sung at Christian religious services.