By Hannah Nepilova

Published: Wednesday, 30 November 2022 at 12:00 am


The singing of Christmas carols has long been an extremely popular tradition in Germany, especially since the Protestant Reformation, when the use of songs in worship was encouraged by reformers like Martin Luther.
Most of today’s best-known German carols date from the 19th century, during which Christmas, and its associated traditions, became increasingly secularised. But there are older examples that have stood the test of time. Here are seven of the best, plucked from the last 1000 years of festive history.

Best German Christmas carols

 Sei uns willkommen, Herre Christ (‘Welcome to us, Lord Christ’)

The earliest surviving Christmas hymn in the German language, ‘Sei uns willkommen, Herre Christ’ dates back to approximately the 11th century, and was first documented in a fragment from the city of Aachen. According to chronicles, this Catholic hymn was sung at Midnight Mass from the choir stalls of Aachen Cathedral by the schöffen – a select group of citizens involved in general government and jurisdiction. It now exists in several modern versions, including three in German and two in Dutch.