In the fall of 1847, a French wine merchant, Placide Cappeau, was asked by his local priest to write a Christmas poem. Not long after, Placide Cappeau showed this poem, “Minuit, chrétiens,” to the ...

Before you’ve even heard Carrie Underwood’s version of “O Holy Night,” you’d likely assume it to be powerful. Underwood seldom performs a song she can’t make quick work of. The soaring high notes in ...

Editor’s Note: Over the four weeks of Advent, alongside the release of season three of “Hark!,” our podcast about the meaning and making of our favorite Christmas carols, America staff will also share ...

Twenty-six years ago, George W. Hunt, S.J., then editor in chief of America, wrote that “O Holy Night” was one of his favorites among Yuletide songs, modestly adding: “I’ve sung it countless times in ...