Health and Strength of Mind, Body and Soul
   Home      A Dozen Great Ethnic Christmas Tidings and Video Songs to Enjoy

A Dozen Great Ethnic Christmas Tidings and Video Songs to Enjoy

© Donald Reinhardt, November 18, 2011 @

 First Copyright-Published December 11, 2010 by Donald Reinhardt @

Updated Dec. 22, 2018

Now with fifty (50) great and wonderful video Christmas songs and presentations from around the world.
The winter season has been a special time of celebration for people throughout the world even before Jesus Christ was born. Three centuries after Christ's birth, around 360 AD, the celebration of Christmas began to honor Christ and traditions of gift-giving and trees and lights from prior festivals merged into the new Christian tradition now called Christmas. The songs that follow recall the best, great traditions, classic melodies, rhythms, instruments and vocalizations in words honoring Jesus Christ. Enjoy a multicultural musical tour of many foreign lands and some of the best Christmas music ever. Discover new, old, and great Christmas music selections – solos, choral presentations and symphonies are just a click away.

Christmas native language greetings are provided here in 13 languages: Bulgarian, English, French, German, Greek, Irish-Gaelic, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Spanish, and Ukrainian.

Traditional Religious Christmas Worldwide, Foreign Music Honoring the Birth of Jesus Christ

What follows here are some of the best selections of one viewer listener and critic who spent many hours searching for some of the true and mainstream kinds of traditional Christmas music from foreign lands throughout the world.

This musical and visual panorama is certainly not perfect in the final selections or choices, but all of these represent quality, enjoyable, Christmas music for your enjoyment both in sight and sound. Choose some songs you think you might like and enjoy a world of Christmas treasures and pleasures.

Your attention is directed to the following:

1.    German – 1. "Stille Nacht" (Silent Night in German) - Nana Mouskouri crisply sings with guitar accompaniment – a karaoke style presentation with words in German on screen view. 2. "O Tannenbaum", weihnachtslieder, kerstlied, christmas song also nicely sung by Nana Mouskouri – karaoake with German lyrics superimposed on Christmas scenes.

2.  Greek- "Agia Nixta",Silent Night – nicely sung in Greek and then English by male vocalist, Mixalis Hatzigiannis. 

3.    Polish – Mellow and sweet, short orchestral and vocal Polish carol 1. "OJ,MALUSKI,MALUSKI" by the Polish Golec uOrkiestra; 2. Koleda "Wsród Nocnej Ciszy" A Quiet Night – traditional beautiful Christmas carol; 3. upbeat, lively version of the same previous carol rendition "WSRÓD NOCNEJ CISZY", A Quiet Night by the Polish Golec uOrkiestra; 4. "Pójdzmy wszyscy do stajenki",Let Us Go to the Stable - Karaoke lyrics version with words in Polish and Polish Chorus. Sweetly sung and well-done.

    5. Polish Silent NightCICHA NOC, KONCERT KOLĘD I PASTORAŁEK DVD +CD, JASNA GÓRA The Golic Orchestra. Beautifully played and sung.  

4.    English – 1. " Mary Did You Know?" Kathy Mattea guitar solo with lyrics on screen (HQ 4:3 captioned). 2. Jars of Clay - "Drummer Boy" live, modern, upbeat, well-done, all male vocal and band presentation. 3. "Mary`s Boy Child" reverent, gentle, and powerful singing by Harry Belafonte.

5.    Russian – These are all clear and beautiful traditional kolyadki (carols). 1. Ukrainian carol translated and sung in Russian at the "Choir of the Orthodox church of St Varvara in Kazan and 2. Silent Night Russian carol performed at the end of the night service for Nativity on Jan., 7 2008. 3. "Nova Radist Stala", Christ is Born in sound and color, Russian kolyadka of the Russian Orthodox tradition sung by choir of a Russian seminary. 4. "Nebo i Zemlya", Heaven and Earth sung by the children's choir of St Nicholas Cathedral Children's Choir in Mozhaisk with photos of Orthodox icons of the Birth of Christ.

6.    Polish – 1. Silent Night "Cicha noc". Superior orchestral, solo and choir rendition in Polish; 2. Polish Christmas carol, "Jezus malusienki", Jesus, Heaven's Infant – karaoake version with Polish choral singing and beautifully-displayed Polish lyrics. Exceptional singing – simple, rich, instrumental background; 3. "Lulajze Jezuniu" Lullaby to Jesus (Chopin) - Polish lyrics in karaoke style, delicately and reverently rendered praise song. 4. "Gdy sie Chrystus rodzi" (Christ is Born this Evening) Eleni, Polish female vocalist; "Gdy sie Chrystus rodzi" choral karaoke version totally done in Polish.

7.    English – 1. Charlotte Church - "O Holy Night", Live. The young Charlotte Church shows depth and breadth of singing prowess. A beautiful and spectacular rendition done with grace and simplicity and beauty. Magnificent! 2. "Joy to the World", karaoke version with excellent choir and male and female solos.

8.    Spanish –1. Noche de Paz, Spanish "Silent Night". Beautiful harpsichord gentle playing with lyrics displayed karaoke style with colorful scenic pictures. 2. "El Magnificat", The Magnificat of Mary. Splendor and grace in this video with a wonderful female vocalist and background Gregorian chant male choir. Reverant video still pictures review is part of the presentation. 3. "Aleluya", Hallelujah – clear, solo and chorus karaoake with words against white candle picture – artist Nana Mouskouri.

9.    French – 1. Minuit Chrétien (O Holy Night) English language. Instrumental background only and karaoke style lyrics in French. Nicely done for all who want to sing along. 2. Guitar Version French – Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night)– French Christmas Carol – Hillary Bell sings and plays guitar. Simple, well-done rendition of the carol. 3. Version française de "The Little Drummer Boy". A crisp, clear rendition of the song by Nana Mouskouri; also, karaoake version by Jairo of "L'enfant au Tambour" with lyrics.

10.  Ukrainian Christmas Carols. 1. "Dobry Vechir Toby" beautiful duet of young Ukrainian Pavlishyn sisters accompanied by Alla playing the 61-string bandura, the traditional Ukrainian instrument. This traditional Ukrainian Christmas carol was performed on Garrison Keeler's Prairie Home Companion Christmas Program (December 2005). 2. Ukrainian, "Carol of the Bells" sung acapella by Pavlishyn Sisters. 3. "Shchedryk", Carol of the Bells, acappela female choir sung at Niguliste, Estonia, Tallinn 4. -7. Ukrainian church choir sings beautiful, crisp and clear traditional Christmas acapella songs and melodies. Male and female vocalists are dressed in traditional Ukrainian garb. 4. Ukrainian Carol A, 5. Ukrainian Carol B, 6. Ukrainian Carol C. 7. Ukrainian Carol D. 8.-12. Nova radist stala, 5. different versions (A -E) of this beautiful Ukranian koliada described and presented as follows: A. Nova radist stala, duetPysanka (Pysanka Duet) present as a delightful, clear and beautiful singing female vocalist accompanied by a joyful harpsicord. B. Nova radist stala, rich, deep, acapella version of this koliada, sung by native-costumed beautiful female and male chorus. C. Nova radist stala, Taras Chubaj at the festival "Our Christmas", a clear and brisk choral and audience acapella presentation in Kiev, Ukraine, 2008. D. Nova radist stala, joyful, bouncy, upbeat singing background of the koliada with great visual slide presentation of Christmas themes. E. Nova radist stala, this last koliada version features a Ukranian-California group in native costume and instruments singing and playing nicely with simplicity and grace.

11.  Scandanavian – 1.. Swedish, "Julen är Här; Christmas is Here" with karoake lyrics in both Swedish and English with stellar singing by Tommy Körberg and Sissel Kyrkjebø. 2. Swedish, "O HELGA NATT, O Holy Night" with Swedish and English karoake lyrics, strongly and deeply sung by Jussi Björling. 4. "O Helga Natt, O Holy Night" Sissel Kyrkjebo, taped live – a powerful, precise, refined and magnificent command performance. 4. Norway, "Det Hev Ei Rose Sprunge; Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming", by Sissel Kyrkjebo a most beautiful voice and song interpretation.

12.  Bulgarian – Orthodox Music for female choir; at Musica Sacra International Marktoberdorf 2000 Opening Concert. This wonderful singing, although not Christmas by design, is appropriate and very Christian. Wonderful colors and designs of the women's native dress and costumes symbolize the festive, joy and depth of life in Christ at this time and throughout the year. The songs (and dances) of Bulgaria are magnificent!

Special Classic Christmas Video Songs – Ave Maria (Latin), Hallelujah Chorus (Silent Monks), Italian

These four presentations are outstanding representations of Christmas:

1.    Ave Maria in Latin beautiful paintings and illustrations with guitar and Latin words above and English words beneath;

2.    "Ave Maria", female solo and female choir quiet ensemble in a gentle chanted style with soft organ music – wonderfully done with holy pictures.

3.    Handel's "Messiah" Hallelujah Chorus singing with visual, flip cards by the Silent Monks – faculty perform at Our Redeemer Lutheran School, Christmas 2010.Two other very good versions of The Silent Monks doing Handel's Messiah are:The Barton Scouts Silent Monk Performance of Handel's "Messiah"  Hallelujah Chorus and another great version of the Chorus of Handel's "Messiah" by the First Baptist Church with a fancy introduction.

4.    Italian – A. "il Bel Canto" or "Silent Night" sung by the Italian Bel Canto Lyrical Choir Tripudium with lyrics displayed in Italian  B. Buon Natale - "Tu scendi dalle stelle", From Starry Sky Descending, beautiful karoake with Italian and English lyrics both on view with Christmas scenes and delightful mature children's choir voices with bells chiming.

A Dozen Foreign Language Merry Christmas Greetings from All Over the World

These are the classic and traditional greetings in the languages of the world for those who celebrate Christmas and the Birth of Jesus Christ. (Reference and language greeting resource credits to

1.    Bulgarian – (Cestita Koleda) / (Vesela Koleda)

2.    English – Merry Christmas

3.    French – Joyeaux Noel

4.    German – Frohe/Fröhliche Weihnachten

5.    Greek – Καλ Χριστο γεννα! (Kalá hristúyenna)

6.    Irish/Gaelic – Nollaig shona duit (Happy Christmas to you)

7.    Italian – Buon Natale

8.    Polish – Wesolych swiat

9.    Russian – (S nastupayu¨cim Novym Godom) (S Ro¸destvom Khristovym)

10.  Spanish – Feliz Navidad

11.  Ukrainian – (Veseloho Rizdva )

12.  Serbian – (Hristos se rodi) - Christ is born; (Vaistinu se rodi) - truly born (reply)

And, for a baker's dozen –Slovenian Christmas greetings – Vesel božič in srečno novo leto

Nativity –The Birth of Christ Tondo. Photo Credit: Library of Congress