One of my many favorite things about this time of year is that I know every time I get in the car, Christmas carols can be found on the radio up and down the dial. Sirius/XM has stations playing everything from classics to country and one of our local stations always dedicates December to non-stop Christmas music. The classics bring back childhood memories, Mariah and Brenda get me singing along and bopping, and any song sung by a children’s choir melts my heart.
I also love Christmas movies and have watched my share of sappy but sweet Hallmark movies. Yes, I know, make fun of me but I’m guessing many of you have watched one or two or two dozen yourselves. All those “Christmas in the Rockies” and “A Crown for Christmas” flicks have somewhat the same plot line but I love them. They are uplifting, stress-free, and chalk-full of love and morals. I also love that other stations including UPtv, GAC, and Lifetime, are serving up their versions of Hallmark hall of famers. Even Netflix has a few!
So, what songs and movies are my favorites? I thought I’d make my list and check it twice and see how the two lists compare to yours. Let me know and let’s go!
Favorite Christmas Songs
“Away in the Manger.” Hands-down my favorite Christmas song. I especially love the line “But Little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.”
“Feliz Navidad.” The Jose Feliciano version. Only.
“Little Drummer Boy” the traditional version and the amazing one by For King & Country.
“Do They Know It’s Christmas/Feed the World” by Band Aid. I remember when this event happened. How nice that we banded as one and weren’t so divided. And ask yourself, do they know it’s Christmas?
“The First Noel.” Always gets me.
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee. A classic.
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” by Bruce Springsteen. The Boss does Santa.
“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby.
“Angels We Have Heard on High” and its glorious “gloooooh…ria” chorus.
“You Make It Feel Like Christmas” by Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani. I love him and it’s a fun and bouncy little jingle.
“Sleigh Ride” and “Christmas, Baby Please Come Home” by Darlene Love and the Ronettes.
“All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey. MC creates a classic. Who doesn’t love it?
“The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole.
“Do You Hear What I Hear?” Whitney’s is gold but Carrie Underwood has a fabulous version too.
“Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman” by Gene Autry.
“Christmas Time Is Here” from “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
“Oh Holy Night” any traditional version.
“Walking in a Winter Wonderland” by Dean Martin. He will forever remind me of my dad and this song reminds me of him too.
As you can gather from the above, I’m not a big fan of classic carol remakes. I don’t mind an occasional Martina McBride or Kelly Clarkson version, but give me Bing and Brenda anytime. However, there are two remakes I am currently obsessed with by the amazing band For King & Country. Their versions of “Little Drummer Boy” and “Go Tell It on The Mountain” are worth a listen. They are powerful yet purposeful and give me chills.
And now…movies. Here are those that make my list:
“National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation.” Clark, I gotta say, your family follies are a Smith family Christmas tradition. We know it by heart and we laugh every time.
“Elf.” Buddy stole my heart and this movie is an annual must-see. Smiling is my favorite too Buddy.
“It’s A Wonderful Life.” Every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings. George Bailey not only inspired many, I named a dog after him years ago. Great message. Great movie.
“The Snowman.” This animated beauty should be watched by every child out there and its book is a great gift to go with it. Trust me on this.
“White Christmas.” Bing. Danny. Rosemary. Vera. The costumes. The singing. The magic.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas.” If you don’t know the history behind this classic, do yourself a favor and find it online. It will make you love Charlie and the gang even more and yeah, Linus really said that and the movie was really played annually on multiple stations, and no one was really offended.
“Miracle on 34th” Kris Kringle’s big debut so to speak and a reminder to believe and have faith.
“The Family Man.” Definitely not an upbeat Christmas flick but a new take on finding the meaning of life.
Yes, I’m aware “The Holiday,” “Love, Actually,” “The Christmas Story,” and “Diehard” didn’t make the cut. I do like the first two romantic comedies…don’t love them but like them…but the last two I’ll pass on. So many movies. So little time.
So there you have it…made my list and checked it twice. What’s on yours? I can’t wait to read them and your take on mine.
Beyond Words 