Christmas in my family is a very big deal. VERY big. So much of my identity is tied up in memories of my father meticulously hanging ornaments on our big red-lit tree(see above), of hauling down box on top of styrofoam box of ceramic collectible Christmas houses that would soon be turned into a snow-covered town, of a magnetized skating rink that hummed as miniature figurines did figure-8's on the Plexiglas pond, of bowls of snow with a spoon before they melted. In my house, Christmas music was ever present during the holidays. The voices of Bing Crosby and Andy Williams were always crooning up the stairs and down the hallways until they reached every corner of the house. Dad always kept the volume absurdly high, so high that when mom inevitably called to him to turn it down, the result was still much louder than normal level.
Over the years, I've added my own favorites to my those of my dad. Dominic the Donkey, for example, makes me heartsick for my boarding school years, where one of my friends would consistently blast it out of her room for the whole floor to hear. There are also songs from my iTunes-guru Aunt Allison, who has a playlist for every occasion. Just to give you an idea of her musical genius, she has a Thanksgiving playlist which includes any and all of her favorite songs that involve the words "pie," "bird," "stuff," "dinner," etc. Also prevalent are songs from my favorite Christmas movies - White Christmas (naturally), Christmas Vacation, Elf, Home Alone, the Polar Express, Rudolph, Frosty, and the ultimate Christmas movie: The Grinch (the classic and the Jim Carrey Version carry equal weight for me and both are included).
I'll provide the list of titles here, but you can also listen to the playlist on Spotify here. Enjoy!
A Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives, Maury Laws
All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth – Spike Jones
All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
Baby It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin
Baby It’s Cold Outside – Willie Nelson, Norah Jones
The Chanukah Song – Adam Sandler
Christmas in Killarney – Bing Crosby
Christmas Island – Leon Redbone
Dominick the Donkey – Lou Monte
Frosty the Snowman – Gene Autry
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings – Barenaked Ladies ft. Sarah McLachlan
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Little Jimmy Boyd
I’ll be Home for Christmas – Dean Martin
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams
Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
Jingle Bells – Bing Crosby and Andrew Sisters
Let It Snow x3 – Vaughn Monroe
Marshmallow World – Darlene Love
Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) – Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters
O Holy Night – Andy Williams
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Gene Autry
Run Rudolph Run – Chuck Berry
Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – Bruce Springsteen
Silent Night – Bing Crosby
Silent Night, Holy Night – Andy Williams
Sleigh Ride – The Ronettes
Suite from the Polar Express – Alan Silvestri
The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
The First Noel – Andy Williams
The Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby
The Most Wonderful Day of the Year – Videocraft Chorus
Trim Up the Tree – Boris Karloff
Welcome Christmas – Boris Karloff
We’re A Couple of Misfits – Billie Richards, Paul Soles
White Christmas – Bing Crosby
Winter Wonderland – Darlene Love
You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch – Jim Carrey
You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch – Thurl Ravenscroft
Anything I missed? Let me know!
{k}
Over the years, I've added my own favorites to my those of my dad. Dominic the Donkey, for example, makes me heartsick for my boarding school years, where one of my friends would consistently blast it out of her room for the whole floor to hear. There are also songs from my iTunes-guru Aunt Allison, who has a playlist for every occasion. Just to give you an idea of her musical genius, she has a Thanksgiving playlist which includes any and all of her favorite songs that involve the words "pie," "bird," "stuff," "dinner," etc. Also prevalent are songs from my favorite Christmas movies - White Christmas (naturally), Christmas Vacation, Elf, Home Alone, the Polar Express, Rudolph, Frosty, and the ultimate Christmas movie: The Grinch (the classic and the Jim Carrey Version carry equal weight for me and both are included).
I'll provide the list of titles here, but you can also listen to the playlist on Spotify here. Enjoy!
A Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives, Maury Laws
All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth – Spike Jones
All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
Baby It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin
Baby It’s Cold Outside – Willie Nelson, Norah Jones
The Chanukah Song – Adam Sandler
Christmas in Killarney – Bing Crosby
Christmas Island – Leon Redbone
Dominick the Donkey – Lou Monte
Frosty the Snowman – Gene Autry
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings – Barenaked Ladies ft. Sarah McLachlan
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Little Jimmy Boyd
I’ll be Home for Christmas – Dean Martin
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams
Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
Jingle Bells – Bing Crosby and Andrew Sisters
Let It Snow x3 – Vaughn Monroe
Marshmallow World – Darlene Love
Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) – Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters
O Holy Night – Andy Williams
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Gene Autry
Run Rudolph Run – Chuck Berry
Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – Bruce Springsteen
Silent Night – Bing Crosby
Silent Night, Holy Night – Andy Williams
Sleigh Ride – The Ronettes
Suite from the Polar Express – Alan Silvestri
The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
The First Noel – Andy Williams
The Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby
The Most Wonderful Day of the Year – Videocraft Chorus
Trim Up the Tree – Boris Karloff
Welcome Christmas – Boris Karloff
We’re A Couple of Misfits – Billie Richards, Paul Soles
White Christmas – Bing Crosby
Winter Wonderland – Darlene Love
You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch – Jim Carrey
You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch – Thurl Ravenscroft
Anything I missed? Let me know!
{k}