Friday, December 19, 2008

Favorite Holiday/Christmas Songs

Tell us what your favorite Holiday song or songs are this time of year. Do you participate in Christmas caroling or have a Christmas caroling party that you would like to tell us about?

Looking for lyrics for classic Christmas carols? Go to Christmas Carol.net to find all of your favorite songs and the lyrics to go with it.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

We take care of my husband's 94 year old Grandmother who will be spending her 1st Christmas at the nursing home around the corner. We stopped by to visit her the other night and there was a group of about 30 kids in her room singing Christmas carols. It was her birthday and they sang her HAPPY BIRTHDAY to her too. It was so sweet to see all of those kids.

My favorite song is Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.

Ann said...

I've been listening to the station with "All Christmas music from Thanksgiving to New Year's" faithfully.

We went caroling last night! We carolled from my daughter's school to the hospital a few blocks away, then through the hospital (including a veeerrrry quiet "Silent Night" outside the ICU, by request.) We went back to the school for hot chocolate and cookies and excited speculation about today's snow day. It was very nice, and everyone seemed appreciative.

My favorite carol/hymn changes depending on my mood and how many times I have heard it already. I always have a few on my "naughty list" that I turn off because they are irritating.

Can I choose "The Hannukah Song" by Adam Sandler today? It's just great, very funny, and has the added feature of rarely being overplayed. I am headed to iTunes to download it next!

Anya@IW said...

Saint said..."Can I choose "The Hannukah Song" by Adam Sandler today? It's just great, very funny, and has the added feature of rarely being overplayed."

I just mentioned to someone the other day that it is one of my favorite ones as well!

One of the ones I always enjoy hearing is "Do They Know it's Christmas" by Band Aid (the British supergroup.) Maybe because it's brings me back to my high school days in the mid-80's. It just never gets old for me.

I love all the traditionals with the noted exception of "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow" I say "Let It End! Let It End! Let It End!"

Anya@IW said...

For an entire CD full of great holiday music (Hanukkah and Christmas), I highly recommend "Barenaked for the Holidays" by the Barenaked Ladies. Touching and sweet, but not too serious.

Other non-traditional favs: "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon and "River" by Joni Mitchell.

Guinevere said...

There are so many Christmas carols I love - I tend to love the religious ones more than the secular ones (and, yes, I HATE "Let It Snow" - it's up there with "Grandman Got Run Over by a Reindeer" in terms of making my ears bleed!).

My favorite is probably "O Come Emmanuel", but I also love "Angels We Have Heard on High" and a bunch of others. Sometimes it's just a particular version of a carol that I love - like the Barenaked Ladies/Sarah McLachlan version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen".

For non-traditional Xmas songs, I love the aforementioned Band-Aid song, John Lennon's "War is Over" and Joni Mitchell's "River" - there are bunch of great versions of this last one, including Mitchell's own, and one by Travis.

Guinevere said...

OMG, it's like I share a brain with Anya.

Anya@IW said...

I may get pelted with stale fruitcake, but I *like* "Little Drummer Boy".

Ok, I said it!

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Linda said...My favorite song is Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.

I like Bruce Springsteen's live version of that song.

So nice to hear about the kids caroling at the nursing home. That's what the season should be about!

Ann said...

"War Is Over???"

Ugh! I have not forgiven Yoko Ono for ruining my entire kindergarten year!

I do not like that song! It's at THE TOP of the naughty list!

scarfoot79 said...

I took a large group of mopey preteens to carol today. We sang "Jingle Bells" in Spanish. HA!

I love "Silent Night." I have no idea why, but that song makes me get a lump in my throat every time. Especially the second and third verse.

A GREAT Christmas album is "The Christmas Session" by MercyMe. It's a great album to listen to loudly in the car!

I also love "Happy Xmas (The War is Over)" but I can't stand Yoko. I try to block her whiney voice out as I listen.

Guinevere said...

Saint, I'm afraid to ask: what did Yoko Ono do to you??

Not only do I like "Little Drummer Boy" - I like fruitcake! (Not stale fruitcake, though.)

Another on the "naughty" list: "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" - blech.

Anonymous said...

I love Christmas music. We were supposed to go caroling last night but there was an ice storm. I'm sad. :(

I love instrumental arrangements of the old carols. My all time favorite is Manheim Steamroller's Silent Night. It's so gorgeous it makes me want to cry.

I like some of the contemporary Christmas songs too. "Mary, Did You Know" gives me goosebumps.

My favorite fun Christmas song is "The 12 Days After Christmas"

It starts out:

"The first day after Christmas,
My true love and I had a fight.
And so I chopped the pear tree down
And burned it just for spite."

And goes on through all the days.
Weird, I know, but very funny.

Mom said...

Oh boy, this is a toughie. I'm a sucker for Christmas/Holiday CD's in general. I, too, like the older religious songs versus the secular ones.

My overall favorite Christmas CD's are:

-->Barbra Streisand's Christmas (she did it in the 60's when she was pregnant with her son.) The Ave Maria sends chills up my spine. Sooooo beautiful.

-->Amy Grant's first and second Christmas CD's (there are a few secular tunes specific to her that I think are fun and sweet.)

-->Mariah Carey's Christmas
I'm not a big fan of MC, but this is a great album. "All I want for christmas is you" is a great song.

-->ALL of the VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS CD's that benefitted HIV/AIDS. Some of my favorite tunes are Natalie Merchant's "Born in Bethlehem" and the Pointer Sisters "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."

SONGS (and versions) I CANNOT STAND:

-->Grandma got run over by a reindeer
-->The only thing worse than "let it snow" is Jessica Simpson singing "let it snow" Oi Vey, it is the WORST EVER!
-->I saw mommy kissing....blah blah blah
-->Madonna's version of Santa Baby, the original is MUCH better
-->The Christmas Shoes (The song just tears me up and depresses me. That's the only reason I can't stand it, LOL!)

I'm sure I will think of more.

happymama said...

Any song that has to do with Christmas is my favorite.

Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you!

Ann said...

Saint, I'm afraid to ask: what did Yoko Ono do to you??

She broke up the Beatles!

Ann said...

The Christmas Shoes (The song just tears me up and depresses me. That's the only reason I can't stand it, LOL!)

My youngest feels the same way. She really hates that one b/c it's sooo depressing.

Samantha@IW said...

I love:

Mary Did you Know, The Hannukah Song, and this isnt necessarily a Christmas song but is played a LOT during December: Same Old Lang Syne by the marvelous Dan Fogelberg, I LOVE IT.

Daisy said...

I love Christmas music!

Silent Night
Angels We Have Heard on High
O Holy Night
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
O Come All Ye Faithful
Joy to the World
What Child is This

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Silver Bells
And every other Christmas song!

Anya@IW said...

Saint, I'm afraid to ask: what did Yoko Ono do to you??

She broke up the Beatles!


LOL!

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SamanthaNC said...I love:Same Old Lang Syne by the marvelous Dan Fogelberg, I LOVE IT.

Yes, yes, yes. A great song! So sad that he passed away too young.

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Daisy said... "What Child is This"

Daisy, this is probably my favorite traditional Christmas song. So beautiful.

Ann said...

Dan Fogelburg died!!!!
I did not KNOW that!!!
Oh, that's going to make me a little blue when I hear that song, now. :(

scarfoot79 said...

I've always thought that Blue Christmas Shoes song is the worst!! Talk about a downer!! And then the cynical side of me comes out and thinks "If a kid's mom is dying, is he really going to go out and buy her shoes?!" I know. I've got a heart of gold.

Saint, I'm a huge Beatles fan and still get mad whenever I hear the name "Yoko Ono," let alone see her face!

Unknown said...

Sam,

Yes, Fogelburg's Same Old Lang Syne brings tears to my eyes everytime I hear it..."the snow turned into rain"....

Yes, Saint, he passed away last March after a 2 year fight with advanced prostate cancer. Very sad, he was such a talented man. Not many people know this, but he played almost every instrument on his recordings. I was lucky enough to see him in concert a couple of times.

My favorite Christmas song is Silent Night. Love to hear John Denver, Frankie, or Harry Conick sing.

MonicaW42 said...

I love alot of them but my favorite is Do you Hear What I Hear.....

Daisy said...

Anya,

Last week I went to the Glory of Christmas at the Crystal Cathedral and a girl about 12 years old sang What Child is This. It was so moving it's hard to describe. She had a beautiful voice. Everyone I was with is still talking about it. The background music was spectacular and the full nativity story was behind her, camels, wisemen and all. Except the Angels weren't flying overhead at that moment.

I went to a Dan Fogelburg concert shortely before he died. It made my husband and I realize our age. We kept looking around the room and everyone was old. LOL. We were truly glad we could go. It was always a dream of mine to go to one of his concerts.

Hopefully this isn't too corny, but I came from the Monday night Muppet era and the Muppet CD was a favorite at my house. I'll have to go dig that out. I haven't heard it in awhile. I can hear Miss Piggy singing Piggy Pudding?!? And the Muppets singing Silent Night with John Denver.

Unknown said...

OH Daisy!

It is not corny at all!

At one of Fogelburg's concerts shortly after John Denver died, he mentioned what a terrible loss we had suffered with his passing. That choked me up something awful!

I still remember watching John Denver and the Muppets while I was babysitting my 2 favorite little toddlers.....years, and years ago.

Nice to share that memory with someone else. Thanks!

Anya@IW said...

Daisy said...Last week I went to the Glory of Christmas at the Crystal Cathedral and a girl about 12 years old sang What Child is This. It was so moving it's hard to describe.

Daisy, that sounds amazing!

You can't match a live performance, but I think I am going to hunt around on I-Tunes for some different versions tonight. It's been my favorite Christmas song since I was like seven years old.....

Mom said...

Daisy -

The little girls singing the Christmas Carols sounds amazing.

Has anyone hear "The Christmas Canon" by Trans Siberian Orchestra? The children sing in that song sound like little angels. It's beautiful.

Okay, I thought of a few more -

My little one is ADDICTED to Polar Express and now that I've finally seen the movie, I've grown to appreciate the title song "Believe" by Josh Groban.

"I'll be home for Christmas" my oldest brother (who passed away in '93) lived in PA when I was little. This song always reminds me of him as he always came home for the holidays.

Anya@IW said...

Mom said..."Has anyone hear "The Christmas Canon" by Trans Siberian Orchestra? The children sing in that song sound like little angels. It's beautiful.

I just googled it and played the video. It is very beautiful.

I'll think of you next time I hear "I'll Be Home for Christmas" between now and Christmas Day....

Mom said...

Aw, thanks Anya! The other one that reminds me of him is Kenny Loggins "celebrate me home." Love that one too.

Nina Bell said...

I really like We Wish You A Merry Christmas.