Whether you are meeting at church for a carol service, or gathering with friends and family around a piano, singing Christmas carols always brings a sense of joy and wonder to the heart.

The tradition of singing Christmas carols can be dated as far back as the thirteenth century, with some, like Angels from the Realms of Glory, being traced directly to the Middle Ages. Carolling declined during the Reformation, but found a revival in the 19th century.

There are many old favourites, but do you know where some of our favourite Christmas hymns and carols came from?

Good King Wenceslas

Written by J.M. Neale in Victorian Britain, the cheery carol, ?Good King Wenceslas? was written in the town of East Grinstead and put to a traditional folk tune.

The tune tells the tale of Wenceslas, King of Bohemia, who dated back over 1,000 years. Unlike the song, which conveys the message of Christian charity, the true story of Wenceslas was much less pretty.

Wenceslas? father was a Christian, but his mother was of a pagan tribe. When his father died, he was too young to take the throne, so his mother took control. Wenceslas was raised by his Christian grandmother, Ludmilla. This angered Wenceslas? mother, who banished Ludmilla. Ludmilla was later murdered by the queen?s guards.

Rare for the time period, Wenceslas could read and write and would smuggle Bishops in to teach him the Bible by night. At age 18, he became king and banished his mother and her followers. He also instituted an education system and a legal system.

By the time he was 22, Wenceslas? brother, Boleslav, became jealous and plotted with their mother?s pagan followers to trap Wenceslas in a chapel, where the doors were locked and Wenceslas was stabbed to death.

Silent Night

The Christmas favourite, Silent Night, was written in 1816 by Father Joseph Mohr in Mariapfarr, Austria.

Father Mohr wished that the children sing the carol at the midnight mass in 1818. He had a teacher friend, Franz Xaver Gruber, add music to the words. According to tradition, the children practised with the organ, until it broke, after which Gruber picked up the guitar. However, the truth is that the tune was originally written for the guitar and the organ version was penned later.

Mohr put the music on paper in 1820 and that early manuscript still exists, displayed at the Carolino Augusteum Museum in Salzburg.

The 12 Days of Christmas

Believed to date back to the 16th Century, there is some debate over the validity of the legend behind the 12 Days of Christmas.

It is commonly believed that the song was written in England during the rule of Elizabeth I when Catholicism was banned. Each of the 12 days, which begin on December 26 and run to Epiphany, which celebrates the coming of the Wise Men, on January 6, is said to represent a different teaching of the Catholic Church. However, there is much doubt as to whether the story is true.

According to the legend, the true love spoken of is, in fact, not a lover, but God himself, and the ?me? is every baptised believer, as it is God who gives good gifts to all. The partridge in the pear tree is Jesus Christ, as a mother partridge is known to feign injury and even give her life to protect her children, while the pear tree is a reminder of the cross.

The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments, while the three French hens were the gifts of faith, hope and love from 1 Corinthians 13:13. The four calling birds are said to be the four Gospels - Mathew, Mark, Luke and John ? and the five gold rings are the first five books of the Old Testament (the Torah) ? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Eggs are a universal symbol of life, so the six geese a-laying represent the six days of creation. The seven swans a-swimming stand for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit ? prophesy, service, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership and mercy (Romans 12:6-8).

The eight maids a-milking represent the eight Beatitudes of Matthew 5, while the nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5 ? love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) are represented by the ten lords a-leaping, while the eleven faithful apostles are represented by the eleven pipers piping.

Finally, the 12 drummers drumming are the 12 vital beliefs set in the Apostles? Creed.