As you can see, the occasionally controversial song “Mary Did You Know” didn’t get a whole lot of love, finishing dead last. “The Little Drummer Boy,” another polarizing Christmas classic, also turned in a rather middling performance, finishing third from last. I don’t think I’ve ever heard either of these played at Mass, nor would I want to, personally.
In contrast, the two carols that took the Gold and Silver medals are both mainstays of Christmas Midnight Masses, in no small part because both of them have “night” in their name.
Speaking of “Silent Night,” our Rome correspondent Courtney Grogan Mares got to hear this classic carol sung in all its glory at the Vatican a couple of years ago. The video she took is really worth resharing:
Bronze went to “Joy to the World,” followed closely by “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” both of which I strongly associate with Christmas Mass during the day.
“What Child is This?” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” both originating from England, finished middle of the pack, as did the American standard of “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” “The First Noel,” also English, finished near the bottom.