Work / monument · song

O Holy Night

poem written 3 December 1847; first performed at Midnight Mass 1847 · 19th century · Also known as Cantique de Noël (Minuit, chrétiens)

After the stained glass of the parish church of Roquemaure in France was restored, the local priest, Maurice Gilles, asked Placide Cappeau to write a new text for the coming Christmas Midnight Mass. Cappeau wrote the poem, "Minuit, chrétiens", on 3 December 1847 during a stagecoach journey from Mâcon to Dijon. It draws on the Nativity of Jesus and reflects his social and abolitionist views.

Songs in history

O Holy Night1847

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). O Holy Night. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/o-holy-night
MLA
“O Holy Night.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/o-holy-night. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “O Holy Night.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/o-holy-night.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘O Holy Night’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/o-holy-night (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻