Why did Christmas Carols stop?

Answer 1

We have never sung Christmas carols during Advent liturgical celebrations precisely because we are in Advent, not Christmas. My parochial vicar (PV) preached an incredible homily this morning that touched precisely this point.

He said, "We are in a season of joyful anticipation wherein we await with Mary for her Son's arrival. What pregnant woman would want to celebrate the birth of her child before the event arrives? What pregnant woman would want to have a birthday cake and a huge party for the child even though he's not been born yet? No. While baby showers are thrown, they are not in grand scale in comparison to the birth of the child. So it is the same with Advent. As a Church many of us are letting the secular world tell us that Christmas begins now and ends on December 25th. That is not so. Christmas begins the moment of the first vigil on December 24th and lasts through the Baptism of the Lord. In the meantime, we sing hymns of joyful anticipation."

Perhaps the OP doesn't understand the beauty of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel". It is the hymn that the Church has been singing for over 10 centuries and it is one of the oldest hymns of Advent. This song, read carefully, goes over the many titles given to the Savior and the tune, while the OP may not like it, is very much appropriate to the season of Advent. Maybe if the OP takes the words of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and turns it into a prayer for this Advent season, he or she may come to understand the beauty this ancient hymn conveys.

Now, regarding the prohibition, it only applies to the liturgies (Masses, Evening prayers, etc) celebrated during Advent. Perhaps the OP may not understand the fact that Advent is also a penitential season, meaning that everything, from the music to the art and environment, is muted. In fact, the Gloria is not sung/said during this time of the year unless there are solemnities like that of the Immaculate Conception or Our Lady of Guadalupe (particularly among Catholics of Mexican descent) where that joyful prayer is allowed.

But, we cannot jump the gun and celebrate Christmas, through carols, when we are in not in that season yet. Because many of us have such a poor understanding of Advent, it is no wonder that by the time December 24th comes around, we are tired. We need to regain our sense of this important feast. I would suggest to the OP the same suggestion that my PV made: