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About This Quiz
Although a “carol” can be associated with any holiday, no other holidays inspire themed music the way Christmas does. Christmas carols are so much a part of the holiday that one tradition involves going door-to-door and singing them. Do you know the lyrics to these popular traditional and modern carols? Find out by taking this quiz.
“O come, all ye faithful, joyful, and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to ___________."
"…Bethlehem."
“O come, all ye faithful, joyful, and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him born the King of Angels!” –“O Come All Ye Faithful” by John Francis Wade
"…Jerusalem."
"…Judah."
"…Bethel."
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“There must have been some magic in that old _____________"
"…Silk hat they found."
"There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found. For when they placed it on his head, he began to dance around.” –“Frosty the Snowman” by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson
"…Dark, sacred ground."
"…Indian burial mound."
"…Crowded dog pound."
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“Gone away is the bluebird. Here to stay is ______________"
"…Avenue Third."
"…A good word."
"…A new bird."
Richard B. Smith was recovering from another bout of tuberculosis when he wrote the words to “Winter Wonderland.” He shared them with his friend Felix Bernard who set the poem to music one year before Smith passed away from the disease.
"…The sheep herd."
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"Come, they told me (pa-rum pum pum pum). Our newborn King ____________________"
"…To free."
"…To see.”
“The Little Drummer Boy” is also called “The Carol of the Drum.” It was written in 1941 by Katherine Kennicott Davis and first sung by the Von Trapp Family Singers (of "The Sound of Music" fame).
"…Is key."
"…And me."
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“I'll be home for Christmas. You can count on me. Please have ______________ and presents on the tree.”
"…Poinsettias and tinsel."
"…Cash and cream for my rash..."
"…Strings of lights and lots of kites..."
"…Snow and mistletoe..."
Bing Crosby performed “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” to honor soldiers who were stationed overseas in 1943. Sam “Buck” Ram wrote a song by the same name, but it did not have any resemblance to the song sung by Crosby (aside from part of the name), which was written by Walter Kent and James Gannon.
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"The first Noel, the angels did say, was ________________"
"…To certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay."
“The First Noel” is a traditional hymn that was published for the first time in 1823. The song was given additional lyrics and a new arrangement by the end of the 19th century.
"…To shepherds busy feeding their sheep lots of hay."
"…Different from this one as night is to day."
"…Inside the inn that they couldn’t afford to pay."
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“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style. In the air, there's a feeling of Christmas. Children laughing ______________"
"…People amassing..."
"…Cows are calving..."
"…People passing..."
“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style. In the air, there's a feeling of Christmas. Children laughing, people passing meeting smile after smile, and on every street corner you hear: silver bells.” –“Silver Bells” by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
"…Shoppers sassing..."
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"Dashing _________________ in a one-horse open sleigh o’er the hills we go, laughing all the way."
"…With my bro..."
"…Like a crow..."
"…To the show..."
"…Through the snow..."
“Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh o’er the hills we go, laughing all the way. Bells on bobtailed rings, making spirits bright.” –“Jingle Bells” by James Lord Pierpont
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“Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on your troubles will be ____________________"
"…Gone tonight."
"…Out of sight."
Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane wrote “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” It was first sung by Judy Garland in the film, "Meet Me in St. Louis," and later recorded by Frank Sinatra.
"…Worth the fight."
"Dyn-o-mite."
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“Deck the halls with boughs of holly, _____________"
"Glo-o-o-oria."
"Pa rum pa pum pum pum."
“Fa la la la la, la la la la.”
“Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la. ‘Tis the season to be jolly… Don we now our gay apparel… Troll the ancient Yuletide carol…” – “Deck the Halls” by Thomas Oliphant
"Da-doo-run-run-da-doo-run-run."
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“Silent night, holy night, all is calm. All is ______________"
"…Right."
"…Tight."
"…Light."
"…Bright."
Joseph Mohr wrote the lyrics to “Silent Night” in 1816, and Franz Xaver Gruber composed the music for it two years later.
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“Hark! the herald angels sing. Glory ________________"
"…Is a beautiful thing."
"…To the newborn King."
“Hark! the herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn King. Peace on earth and mercy mild. God and sinners reconciled.” –“Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” by Charles Wesley
"…Be for everything."
"…From the mountains rings."
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“Joy to the World! The Lord is come! Let earth __________________.”
"…Prepare Him room."
"…And nations sing.”
"…Receive her King,"
“Joy to the World! The Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and nature sing.” –“Joy to the World” by Isaac Watts
"…Love Him."
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“Away in a manger, _________________ the little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head."
"…That night it was said..."
"…Where shepherd were led..."
"…The sheep were well-fed...."
"…No crib for His bed..."
John T. McFarland wrote the third verse of “Away in a Manger,” but Lutheran emigrants brought the rest of the song to America.
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"God rest ye ________________, gentlemen..."
"…Merry..."
There was an Internet rumor that “merry” meant “mighty” when the song was first written in the 16th century. Not only has the word “merry” never meant “mighty,” but also the first publication of the song in 1760 calls it “new.” This would place its writing in the 18th century. The “ye” for “you” is a modern addition.
"…Mighty..."
"…Many..."
"…Mystery..."
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“What a bright time. It's the right time to rock the night away. Jingle bell time is a swell time to go ______________."
"…Sing while the horses neigh."
"…Sledding night and day."
"…Dancing with your bae."
"…Riding in a one-horse sleigh."
"What a bright time. It's the right time to rock the night away. Jingle bell time is a swell time to go riding in a one-horse sleigh.” –“Jingle Bell Rock” by Joe Beal and Jim Boothe
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"Fall on your knees. O hear ______________"
"…The reindeer jingling."
"…The angel’s voices."
“O Holy Night” was the second piece of music to be broadcast to the public on radio December 24, 1906. The first song was “Ombra mai fu (Largo)” by George Frideric Handel.
"…The baby crying."
"…Your mother calling."
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“It came upon the midnight clear that glorious song of old from angels bending near the earth __________________"
"…To warm it from the cold."
"…To tell their tales of old."
"…To touch their harps of gold."
“It came upon the midnight clear that glorious song of old from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold.” –“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” by Edmund Sears
"…To bring sheep to the fold."
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“Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel and ransom captive _____________”
"…Assyria."
"…Cereal."
"…Babylon."
"…Israel."
"Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel!” – “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” translated 1851 by John Mason Neale
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“I'm dreaming of a white Christmas—just like the ones I used to know, where the treetops glisten and children listen to hear ______________"
"…The blackbird and the crow."
"…Where the north wind blows."
"…Sleigh bells in the snow."
"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas—just like the ones I used to know, where the treetops glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow.” –“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby
"…Cattle as they low."
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"Said the night wind to the little lamb _______________"
"…Do you see what I see?"
“Do You Hear What I Hear?” was written as a prayer for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It’s writer, Noel Regney, was a Frenchman drafted by the Nazi army in World War II. He soon deserted and joined the French resistance fighters.
"…Do you know what I know?"
"…Do you like what I like?"
"…Do you smell what I smell?"
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“It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go. Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again with _______________ aglow."
"… Packing skids and little kids..."
"…Candy canes and silver lanes..."
“It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go. Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again with candy canes and silver lanes aglow. ” –“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Meredith Wilson
"… Afternoon teas and Christmas trees..."
"...Mistletoe and warm, cozy fires."
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" I heard the bells on Christmas day; their old familiar carols play, and mild and sweet their songs repeat of ___________”
"…Sleep quietly all through the night."
"…The pipes are calling thee home to Him."
“…Peace on Earth good will to men."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem on which “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” was based at a low point in his life. His daughter and the newspaper related that a match fell and caught Longfellow's wife’s dress on fire, and Wadsworth was burned while trying to put out the flames but he was unsuccessful at saving his wife.
"…Weep no more my sweet child."
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“What child is this who laid to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels ______________”
"…Greet with anthems sweet."
“What child is this who laid to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping?” –“What Child Is This?” by William Chatterton Dix.
"…Meet while sheep bleat."
"…Greet with coo and tweet."
"…Meet in a back street."
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"Down the lonely manger the humble Christ was born, and God sent salvation ____________"
"…In that bed full of corn."
"…That blessed Christmas morn."
John Wesley Work, Jr., (1871—1925) grew up in Nashville and collected spirituals by traveling from plantation to plantation. He first published “Go Tell It on the Mountain” in 1907.
"…Announced with trumpet and with horn."
"…As the sheep were shorn."
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“Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing, ring-ting-tingle-ing, too. Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you. Outside the snow is falling, and friends are calling, _______________________"
"Yoo-hoo."
Leroy Anderson composed “Sleigh Ride” in the summer while at his mother-in-law’s summer cottage and it was first played by the Boston Pops Orchestra February 10, 1948. Mitchell Parish did not add the lyrics until several years after the song’s release.
"Woo-hoo."
"Boo-hoo."
"Cuckoo."
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"I want a ______________________ for Christmas."
"Chimpanzee."
"Rhinoceros."
"Hippopotamus.”
Gayla Peevy had recorded a few songs before Mitch Miller of Columbia Records gave the hippopotamus song to her. After the song became a hit, a hippopotamus was given to Peevy who promptly donated it to a local zoo. She had one more song that charted at #84 but it was performed under the stage name “Jamie Horton” in 1959.
"Alligator."
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"_______________ that your baby boy will one day walk on water?”
"Go Tell It on the Mountain."
"Mary did you know…”
Mark Lowry is a Christian comedian who primarily specializes in parodies of popular songs. He wrote “Mary Did You Know?” while he was writing a Christmas program for Jerry Falwell in 1984. He didn’t use it at the time, but he hung on to it until 1991 when he asked Buddy Greene to write the music.
"Do you hear what I hear?"
"A Christmas Long Ago."
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" Angels we have heard on high sweetly singing ____________"
"…Through giant flames."
“…O'er the plains."
“Angels we have heard on high sweetly singing o'er the plains, and the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains.” –“Angels We Have Heard on High” by James Chadwick
"…With golden chains."
"…As the rain."
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"O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. Above thy deep and dreamless sleep ________________________"
"…We hear a baby cry."
"…The Babe He was so shy."
"…The night is solemn and nigh."
"…The silent stars go by."
"O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee to-night.” –“O Little Town of Bethlehem” by Phillips Brooks, composed by Lewis Redner
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“Your boughs are green in summer’s clime __________”
"…With branch adorned with bells that chime."
"…And through the snows of wintertime."
“Your boughs so green in summer’s clime and through the snows of wintertime. O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how steadfast are thy branches.” –“O Christmas Tree”
"…More deep and beautiful than a lime."
"…Standing as silent as a mime.”
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"Think of all the fun I’ve missed. Think of all the ____________________"
"…Friends I’ve dissed."
"…Fellas that I haven’t kissed."
Eartha Kitt (singer of Santa Baby) was at the height of her career when she was invited to the White House for a luncheon with President Johnson and his wife. She questioned the President’s position on Vietnam in front of reporters and found herself blacklisted and placed on an FBI list. She ended up touring solely in Europe to earn a living.
"…Crowds that booed and hissed."
"…Wishes I’ve wished."
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"Good King Wenceslas looked out on ________________"
"…A ballroom full of presents."
"…A frosty morning.”
"…The feast of Stephen.”
“Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen when the snow lay round about—deep and crisp and even. Brightly shone the moon that night though the frost was cruel when a poor man came in sight gath'ring winter fuel.” –“Good King Wenceslas” by J. M. Neale
"…His smiling children’s faces."
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"Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say, ____________"
"Christmas has come."
"Throw cares away."
“The Carol of the Bells” was initially a song about a swallow heralding the coming of spring. A Ukrainian choir director commissioned Myloka Leontovych to create a Christmas song using a traditional folk melody and “The Carol of the Bells” was the result.
"Keep fears at bay."
"Sing night and day."
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"O-oh, star of wonder, star of ______________"
"…Night."
"…Flight."
"…Might."
“O-oh, star of wonder, star of might, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.” – “We Three Kings of Orient Are” by John Henry Hopkins, Jr.
"…Blight."
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