SILENT NIGHT HOLY NIGHT GIFT BOOK SIZE The carol has been translated into over 44 languages. It is sometimes sung without musical accompaniment. Although written by Catholics, it is given special significance in Lutheranism. The song was sung simultaneously in English and German by troops during the Christmas truce of 1914, as it was one of the few carols that soldiers on both sides of the front line knew. The song has been recorded by over 300 artists, particularly successful in hit versions by Bing Crosby and Mahalia Jackson.