A traditional Latin carol refers to a genre of sacred Christmas music written in the Latin language, predominantly originating from the medieval, Renaissance, and early modern periods. These pieces form the structural and liturgical foundation of Western Christian Christmas hymnody, serving as the historical precursors to modern vernacular carols. Unlike folk-oriented seasonal songs, traditional Latin carols were largely composed within monastic and ecclesiastical settings, functioning as expressions of theological devotion, liturgical celebration, and communal rejoicing during the seasons of Advent and Christmastide.

Literarily and musically, traditional Latin carols are characterized by their formal poetic structure, scriptural symbolism, and use of church modes or early tonal harmonies. They typically focus on core tenets of Christian theology, including the Incarnation, the nativity of Jesus, the Marian tradition, and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. While many were originally rendered as monophonic chants or plainsong, others were designed as festive polyphonic carols. A unique subgenre is the macaronic carol, which intentionally alternates stanzas or lines between Latin and the local vernacular (such as Middle English or German), bridging the gap between church liturgy and popular devotion. Over time, many of these Latin texts were translated into English and other modern languages during the nineteenth-century hymnological revival, becoming staple elements of global Christmas traditions.