It is the time for the most merry and solemn of holidays - Christmas.  It is a day which celebrates the birth of Jesus and the giving of gifts by that jolly old man - Santa Claus.  It is also the one holiday that has so many songs associated with it.  The playing of those Christmas songs is the overture to this special day. 

Sadly, the songs too often are first heard in stores well before Thanksgiving.  But once the bird has been carved and consumed, we really get into Christmas, prodded by those same Christmas songs.  Many of them have been around for many years though some are newer than others.  Equally interesting, many of the Christmas songs being played today were first played and sung by artists in the 1940s and 1950s.  Now that is tradition given all the changes we have had in music and the artists over the decades. 

And so it is time for a little Christmas quiz.  Listed below, in alphabetical order, are many of the traditional Christmas songs.  None are younger than a few decades old.  While I have listed nearly two dozen, I'm sure you can probably think of others.  Your challenge is to guess the year each song was written.  Following the first list is a second one showing the songs and the year (in some cases plus or minus a few years) that the song was written.  And away we go...

Away in the Manger -

Blue Christmas -

Carol of the Bells -

Christmas Song -

Do You Hear What I Hear? -

Feliz Navedad -

Happy Holiday -

Here Comes Santa Claus -

I'll Be Home for Christmas -

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus -

Here Comes Santa Claus -

Jingle Bells (Original) -

Let It Snow -

Little Drummer Boy -

Little town of Bethlehem -

O Come all ye faithful (Adeste Fideles) -

O Holy Night -

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer -

Santa Claus is Coming to Town -

Silent Night - 

Silver Bells -

Twelve Days of Christmas -

We Wish you a Merry Christmas -

White Christmas -

Winter Wonderland -

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Away in the Manger - 1885

Blue Christmas - 1948

Carol of the Bells - 1916  (1921 in the United States)

Christmas Song - 1944

Do You Hear What I Hear? - 1962

Feliz Navedad - 1970

Happy Holiday - 1942

Here Comes Santa Claus - 1948

I'll Be Home for Christmas - 1943

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - 1952

Jingle Bells (Original) - 1857

Let It Snow - 1945

Little Drummer Boy - 1941

Little town of Bethlehem - 1865

O Come all ye faithful (Adeste Fideles) - 1751

O Holy Night - 1847

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - 1939

Santa Claus is Coming to Town - 1934

Silent Night -  1859

Silver Bells - 1950

Twelve Days of Christmas - 1909

We Wish you a Merry Christmas - 16th Century

White Christmas - 1940

Winter Wonderland - 1934

How many did you get right?  Feel free to tell everyone by posting your score as a comment to this musing.