Top 10 (Plus 1) Christmas Songs of Homeschoolers

From classic hymns like “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” to novelty holiday songs like “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” it’s nearly impossible to limit a list of Christmas songs down to just ten. That’s why we didn’t even try! Instead, we posed the question to fans of AOP’s Facebook page. Based on responses from over 840 people (many of whom couldn’t just choose one), here are the top 10 (plus 1) Christmas songs of homeschoolers based on percentage of mentions:

10 (tie). Jingle Bell Rock (1.9%)
Proving that homeschoolers aren’t afraid to mix and a-mingle, pick up their feet, and rock the night away.

10 (tie). O Come, All Ye Faithful (1.9%)
A carol originally written in Latin as “Adeste Fideles” that invites us to sing in exultation and adore Christ the King.

8 (tie). Away in a Manger (2.3%)
Often one of the first Christmas songs learned by children, perhaps because it was originally published as “Luther’s Cradle Song,” falsely crediting the great reformer Martin Luther.

8 (tie). Jingle Bells (2.3%)
Even though a one horse open sleigh is no longer the main mode of transportation to connect families over the holidays.

7. Carol of the Bells (2.4%)
A Ukrainian tune originally celebrating the upcoming new year that is now known for proclaiming a “merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas.”

6. Joy to the World (2.6%)
The most published Christmas hymn in North America is based on Psalm 98.

5. White Christmas (4.0%)
The best-selling single of all time sung by Irving Berlin. Apart from music, a white Christmas is technically defined in the United States as a snow depth of greater than an inch by 7 a.m. on Christmas Day.

4. Little Drummer Boy (4.7%)
The first pa rum pum pum pum was recorded by the Trapp Family Singers but not featured in The Sound of Music.

3. Silent Night (14.0%)
The popular song for candlelight services was also sung in both English and German, beginning the famous Christmas truce of 1914 during the First World War.

2. O Holy Night (14.3%)
The lyrics of a French poem “Midnight, Christians” invite singers to fall on our knees and sing of the birth of our Redeemer.

1. Mary, Did You Know? (15.4%)
The most modern Christmas classic on this list turns 25 in 2016 after its initial release by Gaither Vocal Band member Michael English in 1991. In its silver anniversary year, the song was mentioned 130 times by homeschoolers as a favorite due to its powerful message. “I cry every time the lyrics say that she kissed the face of God!” wrote Susan Schafer Moeller. “Just thinking and writing it makes me tear up....such overwhelming emotion at the mere thought!”