Christmas

About Christmas

Deck the halls and hear the sleigh bells! No matter how much of a grinch you might pretend to be, Christmas carols have to light a spark somewhere deep in your grumpy old heart. The intoxicating scent of wood fires and pine needles, the taste of sugar cookies and thick egg nog, just try not to get a little giddy when you hear the first carol on the radio. Of all the major holidays, Christmas has inspired the greatest number of musical tributes. Probably based on the old English tradition of Christmas caroling-singing from house to house and collecting alms for charity, often accompanied by a stiff goblet of spiced wine-there are a limitless repertoire of Christmas songs. Traditional favorites include devotional hymns like "We Three Kings," Silent Night," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Oh Holy Night." Than there are ore secular but still traditional songs the marathon favorite "The Twelve Days of Christmas," "Jingly Bells" "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and ""We Wish You A Merry Christmas." American popular crooners have done their part for Christmas music-Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper," Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" (later covered by everyone from The Beach Boys to Diana Ross) and Nat King Cole's "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire." In fact, bands like The Beatles and The Beach Boys released Christmas EP's, establishing it as a tradition. Modern Christmas classics allude to dysfunctional family gatherings and include the irreverent "Grandma Got Run-over By A Reindeer," The Kinks' punked out "Father Christmas" and the twangy classic "Honky Tonk Angels."