# Favorite Holiday Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275 "2003-12-11T04:54:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Angel\_Heart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Angel\_Heart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_Heart)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/1 "2003-12-11T04:54:04Z")
What’s your favorite secular and religious holiday songs? Examples: Secular: “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer”, “Jingle Bells”, “Winter Wonderland”, Adam Sandler’s “Hanukkah Song” Religious: “Silent Night”, “Joy to the World”, “We Three Kings of Orient Are”, “Rock of Ages” My picks are: Secular: A tie between “Sleigh Ride” and “Carol of the Bells” Religious: “What Child is This?” (That could just be because I like “Greensleeves” and it’s the same tune). ---
**Author:** ![jesleigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@jesleigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesleigh)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/2 "2003-12-11T04:57:39Z")
Secular: “All I want for Christmas is you”–cuz I’m feeling that this year ☹ Religious: O Holy Night. I love Christmas 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/3 "2003-12-11T05:15:23Z")
It just isn’t Christmas until I’ve heard that “Feliz Navidad” song. But unfortunately, working in a mall for the holiday season, I’ve lost most of my joy in listening to Christmas songs. There’s only a certain number of times a day that a person can hear “White Christmas” before going insane. I do enjoy the Porky Pig version of “Blue Christmas”, but my boss won’t let me play that one in the store. She thinks it’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/4 "2003-12-11T06:16:38Z")
Moving this to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![wendyrules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85e7bf/32.png) [@wendyrules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wendyrules)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/5 "2003-12-11T06:28:26Z")
I do really like listening to John Lennon’s “War is Over” at Christmas time. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/6 "2003-12-11T06:34:12Z")
“Carol of the Bells” has been my favorite for at least thirty-five years. When I first heard it, it was referred to as “Ukrainian Bell Carol.” I especially like it by a boys’ choir. “I Wondered As I Wandered” “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” ---
**Author:** ![wendyrules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85e7bf/32.png) [@wendyrules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wendyrules)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/7 "2003-12-11T07:01:19Z")
Carol of the Bells is beautiful! Just had a thought, I don’t know if anyone’s ever heard of George Winston’s album entitled “December”? It’s one of my favourites not only for the Christmas Season but at any time… The theme of that album is “Christmassy”… solo piano pieces - but his version of Carol of the Bells is truly wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/8 "2003-12-11T08:06:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > **"Carol of the Bells" has been my favorite for at least thirty-five years. When I first heard it, it was referred to as "Ukrainian Bell Carol."** The original version is a Ukrainian street carol called **“Shchedrick”**. Oddly enough, the lyrics have _nothing whatsoever_ to do with bells! The women’s vocal group [Kitka](http://www.kitka.org) (based in Oakland, California) does a wonderful performance of it – in Ukrainian – in their annual “Wintersongs” concert series. They’ve just released (Dec 1, 2003) a [CD](http://www.kitka.org/store/index.html) based on these arrangements, but if you want it in time for Christmas you’d need to order it from them directly rather than from [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). ---
**Author:** ![HDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bb73d2/32.png) [@HDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HDS)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/9 "2003-12-11T12:48:27Z")
The Christmas song from the movie Toys. They play it at my work and I love hearing it. I love the religious songs that are in a minor key - they send chills up my spine. My favourites are O Come, O Come Emmanuel, What Child is This, We Three Kings, and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/10 "2003-12-11T13:13:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wendyrules \* > \*\*I do really like listening to John Lennon’s “War is Over” at Christmas time. \*\* You won’t after hearing [this](http://www.jovi2000.com/music/lennon/happy_xmas_1.mid) a few million times. I’m nearly ready to listen to “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer”… Kill me. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/11 "2003-12-11T20:40:53Z")
For the last twenty years: “Christmas Rapping” - The Waitresses An original song. AFAIK there’s been no covers - there’s few who could sing it with the cheer as Patty Donahue did. ---
**Author:** ![wendyrules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85e7bf/32.png) [@wendyrules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wendyrules)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/12 "2003-12-11T23:01:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Darth Nader \* > \*\*You won’t after hearing [this](http://www.jovi2000.com/music/lennon/happy_xmas_1.mid) a few million times. I’m nearly ready to listen to “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer”… > > Kill me. \*\* Now you’ve roused my curiosity, but the link doesn’t seem to work?! 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/13 "2003-12-11T23:22:20Z")
Secular: Blue Christmas Religious: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/14 "2003-12-12T05:22:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Corbomite \* > \*\*For the last twenty years: > > “Christmas Rapping” - The Waitresses > > An original song. AFAIK there’s been no covers - there’s few who could sing it with the cheer as Patty Donahue did. \*\* Save Ferris does a version of this song. ---
**Author:** ![quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quinn)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/15 "2003-12-13T04:55:16Z")
secular: winter wonderland religious: ceremony of carols - Benjamin Britten. I don’t know how widespread this is, I hadn’t heard it until my choir started singing them this year. But its these modern arrangements of old english christmas carols, very pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/16 "2003-12-13T07:57:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wendyrules \* > \*\*Now you’ve roused my curiosity, but the link doesn’t seem to work?! 😕 \*\* Be thankful. It’s just a really cheesy midi file that I’ve heard far too many times. It’s not unlike hearing John Lennon’s voice replaced by Kenny G’s alto sax. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/17 "2003-12-13T14:55:46Z")
Can I be a mood-killer and suggest De La Soul’s _Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa_? ---
**Author:** ![Kepi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kepi/32/7251_2.png) [@Kepi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kepi)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/18 "2003-12-13T16:01:16Z")
Secular: **"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"** Religious: **“Silent Night”** and Mannheim Steamroller’s version of **"The First Noel"** ---
**Author:** ![kimfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@kimfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimfair)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/19 "2003-12-13T20:16:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HDS \* > \*\*The Christmas song from the movie Toys. They play it at my work and I love hearing it. > > \*\* I believe it’s called The Closing of the Year - it’s my wife’s fave Christmas song. My favorite would be Fairytale of New York by The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275/20 "2003-12-14T20:48:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kimfair \* > \*\* My favorite would be Fairytale of New York by The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl. \*\* Oh yes! And “I Believe In Father Christmas” and “Nutrocker” by ELP too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-holiday-songs/218275.md?page=2)