Christmas Carols - Lesser Known Second Lines Quiz

Answer: Joy to the World

The lyrics are based on Psalm 98 and were intended to be a song that glorified Christ's return rather than his birth.

Answer: Hark the Herald Angels Sing

This is one of Charles Wesley's many Christian hymns, first appearing in "Hymns and Sacred Poems" in 1739.

Answer: O Come All Ye Faithful

The lyrics were originally written in Latin. The origin of the text remains unclear.

Answer: O Come O Come Emmanuel

The basis of this song can be traced to Isaiah 7:14, "The Lord himself will give you a miraculous sign. The virgin is going to have a baby. She will give birth to a son. And he will be called Immanuel." (NIV)

Answer: O Little Town of Bethlehem

This popular hymn was written by Phillips Brooks upon visiting the actual town of Bethlehem in the 19th century.

Answer: We Three Kings of Orient Are

This hymn is also known as "The Quest of the Magi." It was written by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. in the 19th century. Though the Bible never says there were three magi that visited Christ, Christian tradition has long held that there were three, likely because there were three gifts given.

Answer: Deck the Halls

The repeated "fa la la" dates back to medieval ballads while the other lyrics are English and date to the 19th century.

Answer: Away in a Manger

It was at one time attributed to Martin Luther, though that idea has been discredited. The first two verses were first published in a Lutheran publication, "Little Children's Book for Schools and Families."

Answer: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

Hall & Oates released a version of this carol that went number one on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in 2006. It was created first as a poem by Edmund Sears in the 19th century before becoming a hymn.

Answer: O Holy Night

It was written by Adolphe Adam in the 19th century based on a French poem "Midnight, Christians."