O Holy Night was created in 1847 by French opera composer Adolphe Adam, who also wrote the ballet Giselle
While initially popular in France, the carol quickly fell out of favour after its premiere, when Adam’s Judaism and poet Placide Cappeau’s socialism worried the Church so much that they banned performances.
However, eight years later, John Dwight, an American Unitarian minister and classical musical critic, translated the carol into English, bringing its text and melody to a new audience.
archived source*
see also: an archived article* on backstories to the top ten carols for 2020 from a BBC poll
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*a link; see a note on notes and links; see also a disclaimer / … and maybe browse or search the post archive*