Christmas music: a short history
Carol singing dates back to medieval Europe, where wandering singers went door to door in exchange for food and drink — the earliest version of caroling as we still practice it today.
Many of the "classic" Christmas songs are newer than people assume: "White Christmas" was written in 1942, and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" in 1958. The genre keeps adding to itself every decade, which is part of why the same handful of stations can fill an entire season.
Whether it's a 500-year-old carol or last year's new single, the songs share one job: making a room feel like the holiday has officially started.
