Angels We Have Heard on High Unit Study

Jennifer Duncan

7 years ago

When I was young, Angels We Have Heard on High was by far my favorite Christmas carol. I loved to sing it, to practice it, and even to act it out. I probably really annoyed my parents and my brother, but I thought it was the most wonderful song!

We all have favorite songs, tunes that just stick with us. Something about that song just sticks with us, speaks to us in a deeper way.

Angels We Have Heard on High Unit Study

During December, you’re likely to hear Christmas carols almost anywhere you go. They’ll be playing on every radio station and at every store. They’re actually a little hard to get away from this time of year!

Because they are so available, Christmas songs are a wonderful way to help your children learn to keep their focus on Christ this Christmas!

Angels We Have Heard on High Unit Study

The history of this song is really fun to learn about! It is actually based on a French carol, Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes. This translates to “The Angels in the Countryside.”

The English song was loosely based on the French, but the lyrics were written to further help people understand the story in Luke chapter 2. The author was an English bishop, James Chadwick, and he wrote the song partly to help people better understand this passage.

He wanted to give people a better idea of what it was really like that night, almost 2,000 years ago. On that night, our Savior, the promised Messiah was born. History was changed forever.

Just think of it, though: on that night, Christ’s birth was announced to shepherds. They announced the coming of the Messiah to men sitting out in a field, surrounded by sheep. Instead of bringing this glorious news to royalty and nobility, angels announced it to common people just going about their jobs.

Christ didn’t only come to save those the world considers “worthy”…He came to save us all. That’s the amazing message of this song!

To help you teach your children more about this song, I have written a fun and free unit study. You can learn more about it and download it at the link below!