The author of the original text was the prominent Weimar "orphan father" Johannes Daniel Falk (1768–1826), who set his lyric to the anonymous hymn-tune "O sanctissima" (O most holy).

Shortly after Falk's death, his former assistant Heinrich Holzschuher [de] (1798–1847) from Wunsiedel completed the set of three verses that are sung today.

Herder's Stimmen der Völker in Liedern after hearing it sung by Pietro Granucci, an Italian foundling under his care.

In Falk's original text, the song was titled "Allerdreifeiertagslied" (A song for three holidays), highlighting the three major festivals of Christianity: Christmas, Easter and Pentecost.

The song became famous as a Christmas carol that took its first verse verbatim from Johannes Daniel Falk.

The second and third verses were partially rewritten in 1826 by Heinrich Holzschuher, a former assistant to Falk.

[8] The hymn has been translated into many languages, including English ("O, how joyfully"), French, Latin, Swedish ("O du saliga, o du heliga"), Norwegian ("Å du heilage, nådeberande"), Czech ("Ó ty radostný čase vánoční"), and Esperanto ("Feliĉega vi, ĉarmoplena vi").

The song is used in the current German Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch (EG 44), in various regional editions of the German Catholic Gotteslob, in the Free Church Feiern & Loben (F&L 220) and in the Mennonite Mennonitisches Gesangbuch (MG 264).

In the Protestant churches of Germany, the song is traditionally sung at the end of Christmas Eve services.