The song was breathed to life by French poet and wine merchant Placide Cappeau in 1847, originally entitled as “Minuit, chrétiens”.
Adolphe Adam subsequently crafted its accompanying music and on the same year, this beautiful melody was premiered by Emily Laurey, a famous opera singer.
There had been debates where "O Holy Night" was deemed unsuitable for Christmas services due to “lack of musical flavor” and the stark absence of religious spirit.
It was when John Sullivan Dwight translated the “O Holy Night” in English around 1855 and that helped a lot as the lyrics focused on humanity and championed humility, magnifying on the universality of the “human spirit.” Dwight’s version quickly became famous in the United States of America due to the ongoing Civil War and soon became universally accepted around the globe with a lot of versions and renditions!
Learn more of the song's origin at: https://galaxymusicnotes.com/pages/how-o-holy-night-became-a-christmas-carol