# What are you favorite non-religious Christmas songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [December 22, 2023, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997 "2023-12-22T17:50:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/21 "2023-12-23T03:23:31Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > I’m guessing that’s a (nuclear war) joke Not joking. I just don’t think it counts because of the religious imagery. It’s not explicitly about war, it’s just emotionally tied to the Cuban Missile Crisis, and when I think of a star shooting through the night, I’m not thinking of, you know, a star. [Do You Hear What I Hear? - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_You_Hear_What_I_Hear%3F#:~:text=%22Do%20You%20Hear%20What%20I,during%20the%20Cuban%20Missile%20Crisis). ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/22 "2023-12-23T03:57:28Z")
I enjoyed reading the linked backstory, and very much like the carol — majestic melody, interconnected verses — but can’t see the lyrics being about nuclear warfare. The light with a tail, just maybe, but certainly readable as a comet. And the second verse reads _Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy:_ _"Do you hear what I hear?_ _Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy_ _Do you hear what I hear?_ _A song, a song, high above the trees_ _With a voice as big as the sea_ Which implies angelic chorus rather than armageddon. It would have been simple to change ‘song’ to ‘call’ or ‘cry’ which would retain the ambiguity. Even ‘choir’ would be more suggestive of flying death. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/23 "2023-12-23T04:03:09Z")
I dunno. “Voice as big as the sea” sounds ominous to me. But if you didn’t know about the connection you probably wouldn’t hear it. I concede it’s not a non-religious song. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/24 "2023-12-23T04:20:52Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Does _Do You Hear What I Hear?_ count? Because it sounds religious but I think it’s about nuclear war. No, this is the traditional Christmas nuclear war song. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/t039p6xqutU/maxresdefault.jpg ""Weird Al" Yankovic - Christmas At Ground Zero (Official HD Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t039p6xqutU) ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/25 "2023-12-23T04:26:12Z")
that one and fairytale of new york … ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/26 "2023-12-23T04:38:50Z")
Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PTslBTBl1X8/maxresdefault.jpg "Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody - Official Video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTslBTBl1X8) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/27 "2023-12-23T14:14:12Z")
I’ll add to my list of favs: [It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year](https://youtu.be/AN_R4pR1hck?si=IB7bXEDfXtaK4no6) [Good King Wenceslas](https://youtu.be/cVoANsKnlLs?si=bWotlFHdHIu0OexB) [Snow](https://youtu.be/G47k6qSKgPw?si=Ob8IRngP-GnWVa7r) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/28 "2023-12-23T14:33:15Z")
I agree that “Carol of the Bells” should be on the list. And “It Came upon a Midnight Clear” is religious, but it isn’t about Christmas. Pay attention to the lyrics: It’s about angels singing, but it never once mentions why they’re singing. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/29 "2023-12-23T14:42:08Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Fairytale of New York That’s of course the greatest Xmas song of all time. From the poll, I only like “Father Christmas” (if the Kinks song is meant), my second favorite Xmas song, the others I either don’t know or don’t care for (or hate with a passion, like “Do They Know It’s Christmas”, the most condescending song ever written). ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/30 "2023-12-23T14:53:38Z")
Missing Rocking around the Christmas tree by Brenda Lee ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/31 "2023-12-23T15:04:27Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cM38kN4AOys/hqdefault.jpg "CHRISTMAS IN JAIL THE YOUNGSTERS .wmv") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM38kN4AOys) ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/32 "2023-12-23T17:49:18Z")
Numbah One Day of Chriatmas (Hawaiian-style twelve days) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/M0n9SnuvX28/hqdefault.jpg "The 12 Days of Christmas") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0n9SnuvX28) ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/33 "2023-12-23T17:56:13Z")
Lacuna Coil [Naughty Christmas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhLDxRQyhnE) ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/34 "2023-12-23T18:03:01Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0-hWZGIWe_U/maxresdefault.jpg "Snoopy's Christmas -- Royal Guardsmen") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-hWZGIWe_U) ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/35 "2023-12-23T18:04:39Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YkwlR6EnOps/hqdefault.jpg "Stuck in the Smoke Hole of our Tipi.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkwlR6EnOps) ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/36 "2023-12-23T20:40:54Z")
I like the funny Christmas songs like [12 Pains of Christmas](https://youtu.be/5IH7Ks0RkNM?si=ChwsmCTZr6sIjHQM) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/37 "2023-12-23T22:18:46Z")
Too late to the party. John Denver’s, “Christmas For Cowboys,” is lovely. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/38 "2023-12-23T22:41:54Z")
@Saint_Cad already suggested Tim Minchin’s _White wine in the sun_, which has grown men tearing up. [Here’s the clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNvZqpa-7Q) - as mentioned, donations to charity. The other great modern Christmas song in the Australian canon is [_How to make gravy_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYqIF2XkqKU), by Paul Kelly. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2023, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/39 "2023-12-24T02:40:56Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KdENy6i0fC8/maxresdefault.jpg "I Hate Christmas") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdENy6i0fC8) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2023, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997/40 "2023-12-24T05:16:32Z")
It’s got sleigh bells, a 24 member chorus, and it was recorded on Dec 24th 2007. Totally my kind of Christmas music. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/V__1KLwDer8/hqdefault.jpg "Boredoms - Livwe!! (Super Roots 9)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V__1KLwDer8) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-favorite-non-religious-christmas-songs/994997.md?page=3)