“As with Gladness Men of Old” was written on Epiphany, the Christian feast day commemorating the visit of the Magi.
William Chatterton Dix wrote the hymn on 6 January 1859, while recovering from a serious illness and unable to attend an Epiphany service. Inspired by the Gospel account of the Magi visiting Jesus, he wrote the poem during the day and later kept it private for a time.
Although the hymn is frequently sung at Christmas, its subject is specifically Epiphany: the guiding star, the journey of the Magi, their gifts, and the worship of Christ. Many hymnals therefore place it in an Epiphany section rather than treating it solely as a Christmas carol.
The familiar melody is “Dix,” named for the lyricist but composed originally by Conrad Kocher in 1838. William Henry Monk adapted Kocher’s tune for the hymn in 1861.