Politically Correct Christmas Songs Quiz

Answer: Joy to the World

The words for 'Joy to the World' were written by Isaac Watts in 1719. The music was written in 1822 by Lowell Mason, who took the arrangement from Georg Handel. The hymn comes from the Psalm of David.

Answer: What Child is This?

William Dix wrote 'What Child is this?' in 1865. The tune is also known as 'Greensleeves', a 16th century English melody.

Answer: Hark the Herald Angels Sing

'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' was written by Charles Wesley in 1739. The score was written in 1840 by Felix Mendelssohn for his cantata,'Festegesang', in honor of Johann Gutenberg and was arranged for hymnals by William Cummings in 1875.

Answer: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Tommy Connor wrote the lyrics to 'I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'. The song title is also the title of a 2001 movie about a young boy who witnesses Santa Claus kissing his mother and begins to torment every Santa Claus he sees in hopes of keeping his parents together.

Answer: Silent Night

Joseph Mohr wrote 'Silent Night' around 1816-1818. Stanzas 1 and 3 were translated from German to English by John Young in 1863. The translator of stanzas 2 and 3 are anonymous. Franz Gruber composed the score around 1820. When this song was written has come under scrutiny.

Some say Gruber and Mohr wrote the lyrics and music on Christmas Eve in Austria after finding the church organ was broken; others say Gruber wrote the music years after Mohr wrote the lyrics. The song was first played with guitar as accompaniment.

Answer: Away in a Manger

Verses 1 and 2 of 'Away in a Manger' some thought were written by Martin Luther only because the song was first titled 'Luther's Cradle Hymn'. Verse 3 was written by John Thomas McFarland. The music was written by James Murray in 1887.

Answer: Christmas Shoes

On January 6, 2001, a song titled 'Christmas Shoes' became the number one song on the Billboard Charts. It was written by a group called NewSong, who made the song the title cut on the first Christmas album they had in 20 years. 'Christmas Shoes' is a book and a made for TV movie starring Rob Lowe and Kimberly Williams-Paisley.

Answer: The Little Drummer Boy

'The Little Drummer Boy' was originally titled 'The Carol of the Drum'. The words and music were composed by Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone in 1958.

Answer: Deck the Halls

'Deck the Halls' is a Welsh tune. The score was written in the 1700's and the words were written in America a hundred years later. This was Mozart's favorite song to play.

Answer: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

Edmund Sears wrote 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear' in 1849 for a friend. The lyrics were put into volume 28, number 52, page 206 of the 'Christian Register. The score was composed by Richard Willis in 1850. 'It came upon a midnight clear' was first sung at the 1849 Sunday School Christmas celebration.