By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
DEC. 23, 2025 | One of the joys of the holiday season is the singing of Christmas carols. Today we’ll give you the first lines of these Yuletide visitors, and bet those few words will have you humming along. The words are from the hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA.
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O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant. O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.
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O come, o come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel. That mourns in lonely exile here until the son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to three, O Israel!
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Lo he comes with clouds descending, once for our salvation slain.
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O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant. O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.
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While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, the angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone all around.
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It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from Angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold.
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O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
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Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to our new born King!
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The first Nowell the angel did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.
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Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice; give ye heed to what we say: Jesus Christ is born today.
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Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.
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What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
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God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay.
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Angels we have heard on high, singing sweetly through the night. And the mountains in reply, echoing their brave delight.
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Away in a manger, no crib for his bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
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In the bleak midwinter, Frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.
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What star is this, with beams so bright, more beauteous than the noonday light?
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Christ for the world we sing! The world to Christ we bring, with loving zeal.
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Rise up, o men of God! Have done with lesser things.
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Christians, awake, salute the happy morn, whereon the Saviour of the world is born.
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Unto us a boy is born! The King of all creation. Came he to world forlorn, the Lord of every nation.
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Joy to the world! The Lord has come; Let earth receive her King.
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Christmas carols: they bring to us the magic of holidays!
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