O Come, Little Children

Christmas Carols Explained, #17

One week until Christmas Eve? Who’s stoked? YA BOI, THAT’S WHO.

Also, the little children, I assume. “Ihr Kinderlein, kommet” is from the 1790s in Germany, courtesy of one Christoph von Schmid, who wanted children to imagine themselves walking up to and kneeling beside the manger with the Christ child inside.

Like most German carols, it found its way into English in the 19th century, and was circulated through hymnals in various denominations, probably beginning in Pennsylvania and spreading from there. Von Schmid’s original version had eight verses. The video above doesn’t run too long, and it has the English translation of the lyrics as you watch.