# What are your favorite non-English-language Christmas songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2011, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135 "2011-12-14T06:26:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/1 "2011-12-14T06:26:45Z")
I like[Feliz Navidad](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGuCvFdrWPg&feature=related), in part because it was the first modern non-English-language Christmas carol to really become big in my lifetime. It’s still funny to hear people singing along with it on the radio: _Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad… Spanish Spanish año something else._ For traditional I love [Adeste Fideles](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVk7O12rOZg). For lighter, [Petit Papa Noël](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e6PvH76Lnk&feature=related), though unlike the two above I don’t pretend to know the words to it or what they mean. What are your favorite Christmas songs not in English? They can be Latin hymns or whatever the [French/Welsh/German/Swahili/etc.] version of _Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer_, but- if available- please provide links. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/2 "2011-12-14T17:31:34Z")
Riu Riu Chiu. Can’t link because I’m at work, but I just love it. It’s joyous and stately at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/3 "2011-12-14T17:39:21Z")
The music is familiar, of course, but I get chills listening to [“Stille Nacht”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUb8ySdERKs) sung in the original German. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/4 "2011-12-14T17:44:01Z")
[Donde está Santa Claus?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3eAaxQVaHE) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/5 "2011-12-14T17:47:16Z")
“O, Tannenbaum” because when I was a kid growing up in Lutheran church, an old German lady taught it to us. I thought it was cool that we were a Lutheran church that still had German people. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/6 "2011-12-14T18:11:43Z")
I guess the most obvious besides the ones in the OP is “Ave Maria”. This was not originally a Christmas carol; its original title is “Ellens dritter Gesang” (“Ellen’s third song”), and it was written by Franz Schubert as part of a suite of songs based on Walter Scott’s poem _The Lady of the Lake._ It was later used as a setting for the Latin version of the prayer “Ave Maria”. Here is Joan Baez singing it in [German](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VLvALCCjzE); I’m not sure if these are Schubert’s original lyrics or not. The carol commonly known in English as “The Carol of the Bells” was originally written by a Ukrainian composer; it is based on a pre-Christian folk chant, “Shchedryk”, which celebrates the coming of the New Year (which was traditionally celebrated in Spring). With the coming of Christianity, the New Year was moved to January, and the holiday the chant was associated with was changed to Epiphany. The English lyrics (written in the 1930s) are completely unrelated to the original Ukrainian ones. Here is the [Ukrainian version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWq8WZ8ZNFc). Another non-English carol I like is “Pat-A-Pan”, which is Burgundian in origin. Unfortunately the only clip of it I could find with the lyrics in French is by David Archuleta. If you must, [here it is](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrkq2KSP6KI). Another French carol is “Cantique de Noel”, known in English as “O Holy Night”. Here it is sung by [Joan Baez](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbmF7VRP-yQ). ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/7 "2011-12-14T18:11:46Z")
Taladh Chriosda (Scots Gaelic) ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/8 "2011-12-14T18:20:33Z")
I like many of the above carols, but the one that really sticks out is _Veni, Veni Immanuel_ (at work, no links). My heathen toucas will be at midnight mass Christmas Eve if I know the choir will be doing this one. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/9 "2011-12-14T18:31:35Z")
_[Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprugen](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWS7CpFHJ8E)_ ist sehr gut. So many of the Old World carols are very, very pretty and contemplative songs. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/10 "2011-12-14T18:37:24Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > . Can’t link because I’m at work, but I just love it. It’s joyous and stately at the same time. Cool- [it’s like](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzGQU5VMPdI) medieval funk. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/11 "2011-12-14T19:37:47Z")
Forgot to mention “[In Dulci Jubilo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSLXa5UCcCs)”, originally a macaronic alternation of medieval German and Latin. In English, the tune is known as “Good Christian Men, Rejoice”, and some versions of the lyrics are in macaronic English and Latin. ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/12 "2011-12-14T20:13:50Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Riu Riu Chiu. Can’t link because I’m at work, but I just love it. It’s joyous and stately at the same time. > [@Sampiro](#): > > Cool- [it’s like](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzGQU5VMPdI) medieval funk. I prefer [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko94b3I0X0Y)version. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/13 "2011-12-14T20:23:58Z")
> [@justrob](#): > > I prefer [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko94b3I0X0Y)version. Me too, **justrob** , I think it’s my favorite Christmas song. Followed closely by Steeleye Span’s version of [Gaudete](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjU3TPyH7YQ&feature=related). ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/14 "2011-12-15T07:34:38Z")
Does “Deck Us All With Boston Charlie” count? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/15 "2011-12-15T09:15:29Z")
[Il est ne, le divine enfant](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFDCGplSK-Q) Since someone’s already offered up Es is ein Ros ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/16 "2011-12-15T10:27:13Z")
Leise rieselt der Schnee. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/17 "2011-12-15T10:36:35Z")
Still’ Nacht (Silent Night) ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/18 "2011-12-15T10:52:27Z")
Most of the “American Xmas” is really “German Xmas”, anyways. Don’t know why the American Christians want to claim the trappings anyway… they are really celebrating a quasi German schizophrenic European Protestant-Catholic-Pagan Holiday, anyway. Christ Schmist. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/19 "2011-12-15T11:24:16Z")
I think the Xmas Holiday is the ancient Holy Roman Wall of Compromise and Mission set between them and the Germanic tribes of the North. They holiday took the place of the actual physical walls that were built on the Northern Front of the Empire… always a bit5 of kinesthetic assimilation. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135/20 "2011-12-15T11:30:31Z")
There is a term in religion for this kind of asthetic kinesological sharing and adoption… quite succinct…anyone know the word I am searching for? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-english-language-christmas-songs/606135.md?page=2)