50 Christian Christmas Songs, From Traditional Carols to Modern Worship

What are the most popular Christian Christmas songs?

The carols sung in almost every church at Christmas are "O Holy Night", "O Come, All Ye Faithful", "Joy to the World", "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "Silent Night". Among modern songs, "Mary, Did You Know?" has become a new standard, and Chris Tomlin's "Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy)" and Lauren Daigle's "Light of the World" are worship favorites.

Traditional Christmas carols

1. "O Holy Night": the soaring carol many call the most beautiful of all.
2. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel": the ancient Advent hymn of longing.
3. "Joy to the World": Isaac Watts' joyful announcement.
4. "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing": Charles Wesley's carol of the angels' song.
5. "Silent Night": first sung in Austria in 1818, now sung by candlelight worldwide.
6. "O Come, All Ye Faithful": an invitation to worship.
7. "Angels We Have Heard on High": the "Gloria" chorus everyone loves to sing.
8. "Away in a Manger": the gentle carol most children learn first.
9. "What Child Is This?": sung to the tune of "Greensleeves".
10. "The First Noel": the shepherds' story.
11. "O Little Town of Bethlehem": a quiet carol about the town of Jesus' birth.
12. "Angels from the Realms of Glory": a call to come and worship.
13. "We Three Kings": the Magi and their gifts.
14. "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear": peace on earth.
15. "Once in Royal David's City": the traditional opening of many Christmas Eve services.
16. "In the Bleak Midwinter": Christina Rossetti's tender poem set to music.

Advent hymns

17. "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus": Charles Wesley's hymn of waiting.
18. "Coventry Carol": a haunting medieval lullaby.
19. "Good Christian Men, Rejoice": a joyful medieval carol.
20. "Some Children See Him": a 1950s carol about children everywhere seeing Jesus in their own image.

Modern Christian Christmas worship songs

21. "Mary, Did You Know?", Mark Lowry: the modern classic, recorded by Pentatonix and many others.
22. "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)", Amy Grant: Mary's prayer, sung from her point of view.
23. "Light of the World", Lauren Daigle: a modern Christmas worship anthem.
24. "Noel", Chris Tomlin featuring Lauren Daigle: a new carol with a big chorus.
25. "He Shall Reign Forevermore", Chris Tomlin: a carol about the King in the manger.
26. "Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy)", Chris Tomlin: the classic with a new refrain.
27. "Manger Throne", Phil Wickham: from cradle to cross in one song.
28. "Christmas Offering", Paul Baloche: an offering of worship at Christmas.
29. "Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)", Chris Tomlin: a quiet worship song.
30. "Born Is the King (It's Christmas)", Hillsong Worship: bright and celebratory.
31. "Labor of Love", Andrew Peterson: an honest look at the night Jesus was born.
32. "Welcome to Our World", Chris Rice: a gentle welcome to the newborn Savior.

Contemporary Christian Christmas favorites

33. "Little Drummer Boy", for KING & COUNTRY: a powerful drum-driven version of the classic.
34. "Grown-Up Christmas List", Amy Grant: a prayer for peace instead of presents.
35. "Do You Hear What I Hear?": a carol of the good news spreading.
36. "Mary's Boy Child", Harry Belafonte: a calypso-flavored classic.
37. "Jesus Born on This Day", Mariah Carey: a gentle song from her Christmas album.
38. "Ave Maria", Schubert: a favorite at Christmas Eve Mass.

Gospel and spiritual Christmas songs

39. "Go Tell It on the Mountain": the joyful spiritual.
40. "Children, Go Where I Send Thee": a counting spiritual.
41. "Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow": a call to follow the star.
42. "Sweet Little Jesus Boy": a tender spiritual, famously sung by Mahalia Jackson.
43. "Jesus, What a Wonderful Child": an upbeat gospel favorite.
44. "Amen", The Impressions: a soul version of the traditional spiritual.

Choral Christmas classics

45. "Hallelujah Chorus", Handel: from Messiah, the audience traditionally stands.
46. "For Unto Us a Child Is Born", Handel: also from Messiah.
47. "O Magnum Mysterium", Morten Lauridsen: a modern choral masterpiece about the manger.
48. "The Holly and the Ivy": a traditional English carol.
49. "The Friendly Beasts": the animals in the stable tell the story, a children's favorite.
50. "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming": a gentle German carol.

Christian Christmas songs for church

A typical Christmas Eve service moves from waiting to joy: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" or "Once in Royal David's City" to open, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "What Child Is This?" during the readings, "O Holy Night" as a special song, and "Silent Night" by candlelight to close, often followed by "Joy to the World" as people leave. Many churches add one modern song such as "Noel" or "Light of the World".

Easy Christian Christmas songs for kids

For a children's program or a family sing-along, the easiest are "Away in a Manger", "Go Tell It on the Mountain", "The Friendly Beasts", "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night". Each has a simple tune and a short chorus, and "The Friendly Beasts" lets each child take a verse as one of the animals.

Christian Christmas songs by women artists

For a playlist of female voices, start with Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven", Lauren Daigle's "Light of the World", Mariah Carey's "Jesus Born on This Day" and Mahalia Jackson's "Sweet Little Jesus Boy", then add Lauren Daigle's recording of "O Holy Night".

Christian Christmas songs about Mary

Several of the most-loved songs look at Christmas through Mary's eyes: "Mary, Did You Know?", "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)", "Mary's Boy Child" and Schubert's "Ave Maria". They work beautifully as a solo during a Christmas Eve service or a mothers' moment in a children's program.

Christian Christmas songs for choirs

For a church or community choir concert, the "Hallelujah Chorus" and "For Unto Us a Child Is Born" from Messiah are the showpieces. For something quieter, "O Magnum Mysterium", "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" and the "Coventry Carol" give a choir room to shine, and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" makes a joyful closer.

Christmas songs of hope for a hard year

When the year has been difficult, choose carols that speak to weariness and hope: "O Holy Night", "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear", "In the Bleak Midwinter", "Grown-Up Christmas List" and Andrew Peterson's "Labor of Love". Our list of sad Christmas songs has more for a first Christmas after a loss.

Christmas songs for a family devotion

During Advent, many families light a candle each Sunday and sing one song together: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" for the first week, "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" for the second, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" for the third and "Joy to the World" for the fourth, with "Silent Night" on Christmas Eve.

A Christmas song about your family's faith

All of these songs tell the Christmas story. A personalized song can add your family's own: the church you attend, the Christmas Eve tradition you have kept for years, the grandparents who taught you the carols and a blessing for the year ahead. It makes a meaningful gift for parents, grandparents or a pastor. See our Christmas song for the family and our Christian funeral songs.

How to create a Christian Christmas song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: gospel-inspired, acoustic, choral-style ballad, country and more.
2. Add up to three names.
3. Share three Christmas memories or blessings, each with one concrete detail.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give a Christmas song with your family's story: create a Christmas song and hear four previews for free.