Favorite Holiday Songs

December 14, 2006 /
I like Christmas music ok, but not when it’s played all day, every day, on the radio. Ugh. And I like a Hanukkah song or two, which is why I titled this, Favorite Holiday Songs, and not Favorite Christmas songs, though, really, they’re mostly Christmas songs. Sorry. And, even though I was raised atheist, and don’t really go in for Christmas being that much about Jesus, kinda think it’s more about pagans and the winter solstice, and it was coopted by the Catholic Church early on while trying to convert said pagans, blah blah blah, etc. etc., there is truly something so wonderful and hopeful about the more religious songs, and I mostly can’t get into Santa unless he is in a Rankin/Bass special, so the songs I love, that really make me feel like Christmas is here, are the ones celebrating the birth of Christ. So what, I’m not allowed to be contradictory? Whatever.
  1. Oh Come All Ye Faithful
  2. Joy to the World
  3. Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth – You know, the one with Bing Crosby and David Bowie? What’s not to like about that?
  4. The First Noel
  5. Hanukkah, oh Hanukkah
  6. I Have a Little Dreidel
  7. Happy Christmas (War is Over)
  8. Silent Night
  9. What Child is This
  10. Winter Wonderland
  11. Blue Christmas
  12. 12 Days of Christmas
  13. The Christmas Song (I know, it mentions Santa. What did I say about being contradictory?)

As for holiday albums, or CDs, my favorites are A Charlie Brown Christmas, by Vince Guaraldi, The Christmas Song, Nat King Cole, and December, by George Winston. Oh, and it seems to me that we have a pretty good Bing Crosby Christmas CD sitting around here as well. Put those on, and maybe use Ted’s old trick…put a stick of cinnamon and a couple of cloves in some water on your stove, and simmer…makes the whole house smell like Christmas. Low tech idea from those college years. 😉

And hey, does anyone remember a song that ended “32 hooves and 8 little tails in all, dashing dashing dashing over the wall!” It was some kind of Santa/reindeer song that I learned in chorus in the 6th grade, but my Google search came up with nothing. It was fun to sing.

17 Comments

  • Ml

    December 14, 2006 at 6:34 am

    Oh hell, Christmas has nothing to do with Jesus! Oh, did I just say that? Yes, I did, and I’ll say it again, if you want 😉 But, nothing wrong with listening to Christmas carols and liking them. It’s just the tune, the overall feeling that you get from the carol that puts you in the mood.

    Anything Christmas tune sung by Nat King Cole is aces in my book. Yes, Bing Crosby too.

    I like your Thursday 13. Funny, when I tried to do one a while back, I could only come up with 2 things 🙂

  • Dot

    December 14, 2006 at 9:32 am

    I think I just fell back into the Christmas mood 🙂 The Vince Guaraldi CD is in my car right now. I bought Wynonna’s new Christmas CD, but it was just ok. She sings beautifully, but it just didn’t do it for me. When I was growing up we listened to two Christmas Albums. Elvis and the Beach Boys. They are still two of my favorites.

  • rashenbo

    December 14, 2006 at 11:13 am

    I really like Silent Night. Fraid I have no idea which song it might have been (the reindeer one from the 6th grade). But, I like your list! I think I’ll turn on some Christmas music now.

    Happy TT!

  • Chickadee

    December 14, 2006 at 12:31 pm

    Ahhh, A Charlie Brown Christmas…that IS a good cd. I like “Do you hear what I hear” and “Carol of the Bells”

    There’s a radio station here in town that is playing nothing but Christmas music now for the rest of the month.

    My 13 are up.

  • Bubba

    December 14, 2006 at 12:51 pm

    Contradictory or not, it’s a great list of songs. And what I’ve noticed is that what we like doesn’t always make logical sense to others, anyway.

    Happy TT!

  • ali

    December 14, 2006 at 5:02 pm

    great list. i’m pleased to see that you don’t have my all-time LEAST favorite christmas song on your list…wonderful christmastime by Paul McCartney.

  • hellomelissa

    December 14, 2006 at 6:19 pm

    i’m just as contradictory as you are, so no sweat. i have 2 great loungey christmas albums with hip carols on them that i loooove. my current favorite is “christmas island” about christmas on hawaii, or “baby it’s cold outside”– the version from “elf” with leon redbone and zooey deschanel. heavenly!

  • Lotus

    December 15, 2006 at 8:28 am

    Great list, J – are your very favorites right at the top of the list? “Little Drummer Boy” is my #1 Christmas song followed by “What Child is This” and “WInter Wonderland”. I’m also extremely partial to “O Holy Night” and “We Three Kings”. My favorite Christmas album is *gasp* Michael Bolton’s from several seasons ago. I just LOVE his rendition of “O Holy Night”, I get the nicest goosebumps!

  • Ginger

    December 15, 2006 at 3:43 pm

    I love George Winston’s December. Most people I know don’t even know what that is. I listen to it over and over this time of year.

  • Cherry

    December 15, 2006 at 3:48 pm

    I LOVE Christmas/Holiday/Winter Seasonal songs. If I could find people to go caroling with me, I so would, but I kinda think it’s creepy since I’m not a cute little 10 year old, and people seem to be more bothered by it then enjoy it. So I shall continue to sing alone in my car and in my kitchen as I bake my XMas load of cookies.

    Merry December!