I will enthusiastically echo Nathan on 'Of the Father's Heart Begotten'. This hymn, a cento of a much, much longer poem by Marcus Aurelius Prudentius, expresses more than any other Christmas hymn the realities of the Incarnation and its unfathomable theological ramifications. Too, it may be the only Christmas hymn that focuses on the fact that there was a Father involved, that our Lord did, indeed, have a Father, the Father of all fathers, and that Jesus himself was indeed from of everlasting. There is no greater Christmas hymn than this one, which Nathan has championed so nicely.

Other favourites of mine are -
'In the Bleak Midwinter' - evocative and wonderful to contemplate, though it is pure Victorian mythology.

'O Come, All Ye Faithful' - Christmas just isn't Christmas without it, though its strongest theological stanza is the second one - 'God of God...'

'See Amidst the Winter's Snow' - like Kathy, I am much moved by this one, though it, too, is more pure Victorian mythology.

'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' - another one which more or less defines Christmas. It is very much more theologically strong than many Christmas hymns.

There are, though, so many treasured ones, mediaeval, Victorian, German, French, etc., that would form an endless list of 'favourites'.

Thanks for that, Don.
I hadn't known of 'Sleep Holy Babe' and shall look it up.
As you have described it it sounds definitive of Christmas.
There are quite a few less well known hymns and carols that have greater depth and are far more rooted in scripture and theology than the more well known ones, which tend to a saccharine sentimentality, if not outright mawkishness.

Angels We Have Heard on High

I cannot pick favourites but these are all enchanting, though not all "hymns" per se:

Blessed Be that Maid Marie is gorgeous, and macaronic! https://youtu.be/_UL2sLE8uks

This is the truth sent from above - the Herefordshire Carol. https://youtu.be/5M_8vjqWYmM

Once in Royal David's City - can't go wrong with a lone treble from King's College on the opening verse... https://youtu.be/TT3cfXd3Shk

"Past 3 O'Clock" which has the line "Cheese from the dairy bring they for Mary / And not for money, butter or honey". Quite charming...

In Dulci Jubilo with the Latin-German I quite love. Especially this Praetorius polyphonified arrangement. https://youtu.be/Ou1O27w-bcI

Ein Kind geborn zu Bethlehem arranged by Samuel Scheidt, an adaptation of Puer Natus - not many recordings out there but it's one of my favourites especially with that wonderful bouncing echo in the Alleluia and epic double-choir sound. https://youtu.be/j6Of30XBxSU

Drake, if you like O Magnum, you can also use the Lauridsen (overdone in my opinion, but beautiful nonetheless), or you could search my own setting available on this forum.

For metrical carols, so many to chose from, but to limit myself to something not yet mentioned (and avoiding the temptation to yuck another's yums, as it were): I Wonder As I Wander. (A capella or very sparingly accompanied.)

In a very different vein: this setting of Hodie Christus Natus Est by William Byrd, almost manic in its eruptions of ecstatic text-painting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8uWc3-3imc

A Child Is Born In Bethlehem, arr. Bach

my arrangement from the 80s attached.

Beautiful, m.r. taylor!
the Praetorius has to be one of the most exultant and ecstatic expression of Christmas joy that ever has been written - it has something that not even Bach gave us in his Christmas Oratorio.
The Praetorius in dulci also can be heard on one of Paul McCreesh's CDs.
I often wonder, though, about the painstaking and admirable scholarship of those who are so (justifiably) pleased at their employment of period instruments while it never enters their minds to use 'period voices' - namely boys and male altos.

I often wonder, though, about the painstaking and admirable scholarship of those who are so (justifiably) pleased at their employment of period instruments while it never enters their minds to use 'period voices' - namely boys.

Jackson, I had an almost opposite response. To me the best part of that recording was the golden voice of the soprano soloist.

Kathy -
I wholeheartedly agree with you about that soloist.
I do not at all mean to demean the beautiful voices of women.
They are in a class by themselves and are an exquisite musical instrument like unto no other. There is literature in which they excel, and their performances in later music is 'period' appropriate. That is not to say that they shouldn't ever perform earlier music, but that their voices in that early music is not as appropriate as that of boys. And, try as they might to 'sing like boys' to please their choirmasters, careful listening will reveal that they just can't.
Unfortunately, boys voices are not in demand these days and are (very sad to say) found only at a certain church on fifth avenue, at (I think) St John's Cathedral (Episcopal) in Denver, and in English cathedrals and collegiate chapels - not to mention numbers of knabenchoren in Germany and Austria

This doesn't say anything about the boys, but about a society and culture that has lost discarded something of immense value - and has become indifferent to the role of music in the spiritual and moral lives of young men and boys.
Like the female soprano, the boy treble is a distinct instrument with its own distinctive timbre and is most fitting for 'period performances' of sacred music - though much modern music also forms a large part the repertories of most of the choirs of men and boys.

Not everybody cares that much for boys' voices, though. A notable historic figure, one Erasmus of Rotterdam, was wont to remark snidely about the fact that 'we have money to train boys to squeal'. Poor Erasmus!

Another gem -
'Behold, the Great Creator Makes / Himself a House of Clay'
Paired with This Endris Nyght, C.M. - as found at no. 20 in The English Hymnal , 1906,
and Hymns A&M, amongst others.

This is another one which is theologically rich, rich in imagery, and absent the mawkish sentimentality of many.

Penned by Thomas Pestel, a chaplain to Charles I, it is rarely encountered this side of the pond.
Too bad!

MJO, thanks for sharing Behold the Great Creator Makes. I've never heard that one before.

I also have to agree with those who have mentioned Lo How a Rose Ere Blooming. Its an absolutely beautiful piece of music combined with a wonderful text. I think it can also work for the last week of Advent in addition to Christmas.

Corde natus ex parentis - Corde='Heart'.
'Of the Father's Heart Begotten'.
'Heart' is the more apt translation here, though 'love', while certainly not too much off, is still off.
I think that the former is more prevalent in Britain while the latter seems more common in the US.
And, after all, 'love' can boast approbation of The Hymnal 1940..
There is, admittedly, something 'heart warming' about that word 'love', but 'heart' and 'love' are not exactly synonyms.
Corde natus ex parentis.

Incidentally, one of the finest, and easiest, anthems for Christmas is David Willcocks's arrangement of this as found in Oxford's Carols for Choirs.
It is especially appropriate as an anthem at the offertory.

I love "O Come Divine Messiah!" It is such a beautiful bright tune with which I only became acquainted in the past decade or so.

I don't understand: what is the proper context of "Il est né le divin enfant"?
I forgot to mention "Les anges dans nos campagnes".

I am partial to Vom himmel hoch and Max Reger's cantata on the melody containing all fifteen (!) verses, a meditative (not explosive) but exquisite work.

I'm particularly partial to I saw three ships, but would never use it at Mass.

'Here Betwixt Ass and Oxen Mild' (Or "Entre le bœuf et l'âne gris") is indeed very beautiful.

I am quite surprised by the number and quality of the French 'Noels'. This is perhaps because for a long time, the singing of hymns in the vernacular was prohibited in Catholic churches, except at Christmas before Midnight Mass.
Among English hymns, "Once in Royal David's City" is one I discovered rather recently. A very lovely hymn.

Something has definitely gone wrong: many composers seem to have thought children were too stupid to appreciate good hymnody.
There is a French version of this hymn ('Toute nuit revit dans le silence'), though it is more a new hymn based on the same melody than a real translation.

It is quite strange a carol: while it celebrates the Nativity of Our Lord, it does hint at the Passion which He will suffer for our sake. Quite unexpected for a Christmas carol, but very fitting.

Not strange at all, The Oxford book of Carols has plenty...
'God's dear Son'
'All in the morning'
'Yeoman's Carol'
'Sussex Carol'
'The First Nowell' (vs. 8)
'Greensleeves'
'Sans day Carol'
'The holly and the Ivy'
'The sinners redemption' (All you that are to mirth inclined)
'Down in yon forest'
'The decree'
'Cherry tree carol'
'The Saviour's work'
'My dancing day'
'Gounod's Bethlehem' (Dans cette étable)

and I have only gone through the first half of the book!

Not strange at all, The Oxford book of Carols has plenty...
'God's dear Son'
'All in the morning'
'Yeoman's Carol'
'Sussex Carol'
'The First Nowell' (vs. 8)
'Greensleeves'
'Sans day Carol'
'The holly and the Ivy'
'The sinners redemption' (All you that are to mirth inclined)
'Down in yon forest'
'The decree'
'Cherry tree carol'
'The Saviour's work'
'My dancing day'
'Gounod's Bethlehem' (Dans cette étable)

and I have only gone through the first half of the book!

Thank you for this precision. I must confess my near-complete ignorance when it comes to English Christmas hymnody (apart from those I mentionned).

Angels We Have Heard On High is unusually fun for altos, who usually sing a string of Ds.

...seem to have thought that children were too stupid...

Indeed, they apparently do so think.
The double agony of this is that these children will grow up musically and literarily 'stupid'; and being so, having been thought (and made) musically stupid when they were children, will grow up to do the same job on the next generation - and so it goes. (Most people do, after all, like to make their children like unto themselves, do they not?)
I guess that's how we got to where we are.

Can't even begin to pick a favorite. Some unmentioned hymns that deserve mention, however: In the Latin section, I've lately been reminded of In natali Domino, which has that fantastic chorus ending in "Virgo semper intacta". And in the Italian, Tu scendi. And in the French, O Dieu de clémence, but perhaps that's because I can't get enough Noël Suisse.

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
(especially the lines: O hush your noise, ye men of strife, and hear the angels sing)